EBSF is immensely proud of the nearly-300 care-leavers we’ve helped through university. Here are some of our beneficiaries, over the last five years:

2021

Having read criminology at John Moores’ University in Liverpool, Angel Mullen went on to study for an MA in criminology and social policy, also at John Moores. Angel has explored the “country lines” phenomenon of children being groomed by gangs to sell drugs in rural areas. In foster-care with two siblings from the age of eight, Angel was well aware of the vulnerability of young people in care. She is particularly interested in the conflict between criminological and social policy approaches to drug crime.

Angel studied drama, psychology, philosophy and ethics at A level at St Thomas Aquinas school in Birmingham. She volunteered in Africa and in orphanages in Romania. After gaining her masters she planned to join the police graduate scheme. The Eve Brook Scholarship Fund gave her a postgraduate bursary.

Ginny Warr and her sisters were in foster care with the same family from the age of five to the age of 21. Having enjoyed being a sea cadet in her childhood, Ginny volunteered to train young cadets in rowing and sailing, and realised teaching was what she wanted to do. As a trampolining gymnast, she competed at regional level.

Having graduated with a degree in PE in School Sport, Ginny wanted to undertake a postgraduate education course in physical education for early years, with a view to teaching PE in primary school. EBSF gave her a postgraduate bursary.

Having gained a 2:1 in Law with Business, Musa Nela has started the Barrister Professional Course with Masters at Birmingham’s University of Law. He is supported by an EBSF postgraduate bursary.

Since arriving in Britain as an unaccompanied asylum seeker six years ago, Musa has been determined to become a voice for people without rights, and, particularly, to become a barrister.

In 2021 Musa won the University of Law’s Employability Award and a Diana award, set up to empower young people to make positive change, for his work on the guardianship campaign for all care-leavers to have a guardian (as is the case in Scotland).A petition for guardianship with 21,150 signatures has been handed to the Home Office.

Lauren McCauley started her Open University course in Forensic Psychiatry in 2015, financed by the Fund. EBSF’s first OU student, Lauren kept up her six years of part-time studies while working as a legal secretary. She has been a consistent and valued supporter of EBSF fundraising activities.

Lauren gained her 2:1 in the summer of 2021. Her degree unlocks many postgraduate opportunities she will be looking into for the future.

2020

An artist, photographer and now intervention worker with the substance misuse charity Change Grow Live, Naheeda Begum was accepted on to a two-year MA in Social Work at the University of Birmingham. In care at the age of 16, Naheeda studied Fine Art at Coventry University.

Naheeda’s art explores the identity issues faced by Muslim women, and she continues to work as a wedding photographer and painter. With Change Grow Live, she encourages motivation among care-leavers, and EBSF awarded her a postgraduate bursary.

In foster care and children’s homes since he was 11, Muhammad Abdullah has always been passionate about sport and aims to teach physical education in secondary school. Mo studied at University of Worcester where he gained a BSc with honours in Sports Coaching Sciences and Physical Education. While at Worcester, he co-founded the Worcester Futsal Club (a five-a-side, indoor version of the game, founded in Brazil) which now plays in the top national Futsal league.

He won a place to study for a Postgraduate PGCE in Secondary Physical Education, again at Worcester, and EBSF granted him a postgraduate bursary.

Anh Tuan Do came with his family from Vietnam to Britain in 2009, and had to go into foster care in 2012. He studied engineering at Aston University – where he was Vice-President of the student Vietnamese Society, and gained a first. He planned to undertake an MSc in Engineering Management, again at Aston.

Anh was ineligible for a student loan because of his immigration status, but the Birmingham Children’s Trust agreed to pay his fees. To provide other support through his studies, EBSF granted him a postgraduate bursary.

Having won a high 2:1 degree in Economics at Manchester, Summayah Hamadou won a place to study for a masters’ degree in Financial Economics at the same university.

In foster care from the age of five, Summayah was one of 100 students selected for internships with accountancy firm Grant Thornton (from an application list of over 100,000). On top of her studies, Summayah played for the University’s football team, winning promotion and touring to Croatia and Italy (in a trip which she organised). She also coached young players in the community.

Summayah intended that her MSc will equip for a career in private equity or corporate finance; EBSF has awarded her a bursary.

In foster care since the age of three, Rennae Smith did a degree in Social Policy at London Metropolitan University. Needing to upgrade her undergraduate degree, she decided to undertake two courses at the Open University. This would make her eligible to apply to do her masters at Birmingham City University. The Eve Brook Scholarship Fund is supported her by paying her OU fees.

Although she was attracted to a theatre career as a teenager, Rennae decided to pursue a career in social work because of her own time in care. Her stage school did however introduce her to competitive cheerleading, which she continued while at London Metropolitan – her team coming third in the national Varsity cheerleading competition twice in three years.

2019

In care from the age of 10, Sameen Kausar saw an ambulance outside a familiar house, rushed in, and saw the parademics save her grandmother from a potentially terminal heart attack. At that moment, she decided she wanted to become a doctor.

Having completed her medical course at Bristol University, Sameen was entitled to take an elective placement, wherever she liked in the world. Supported by EBSF, Sameen Keen gained a head start practising in general surgery and anaesthesia on a six weeks placement at the Hutt Valley District Hospital, near Wellington, New Zealand.

Following a diploma in acting and an undergraduate degree in English with Creative Writing, Amir Khan undertook an MA in Creative Writing at the Met Film School, located at the historic Ealing Studios in West London. In care in his teens, Amir studied acting before going on to study writing at Nottingham Trent University.

As a keen Harry Potter fan, Amir was initially interested in writing screenplays in the fantasy genre, but he concentrated on more socially-critical writing in his course at Ealing. The Eve Brook Scholarship Fund paid the difference between his fees and the maximum postgraduate student loan.

2018

Ajmal Ishaq was in care from 2008 to 2014. Although he studied media at college, he discovered a talent for drawing, and so decided to read Film and Animation at Birmingham City University, where his assignments including making a music video. Having successfully graduated, Ajmal won a place to study for an MA in Game Development at Kingston University.

Studying in London will mean that Ajmal will face considerable travel and other expenses (including course materials) and we have given him a £3,000 postgraduate bursary.

Sarah Manka and her sister were in care from the age of eight, and she always wanted to be a social worker or to work in education. Having undertaken an access course in social care at Hall Green College, she gained her degree in Early Years Education at the University of Wolverhampton.

She went on to studying for an MA in Education at Birmingham City University, with the aim of working in schools management. She applied to EBSF for childcare support, and we offered her a bursary to cover her costs.

 

2017

Taken into care when he was 15, Rory Bick BA was one of five new students being supported through our postgraduate bursary scheme in 2017-8, one of two studying at universities in London.

Initially attracted to anthropology at A level, Rory got a 2:1 in philosophy at King’s College, London. Hed went on to study for an MA in Philosophy, Politics and the Economics of Health, at University College, London..

While at Kings, he did volunteer work in Battersea, helping refugee children with homework and running a summer club.

Katrina Grey BA came into care at three and went into foster care at 11. She left school with only two passes, but went to college to study Health and Social Care. Katrina decided to change course and study skin-care and then theatrical makeup, going on to gain a BA in Makeup for Fashion at the University of the Arts in London.

Modules on cultural studies led her to apply for and be accepted on an MA course in Culture, Diaspora and Ethnicity at Birkbeck.

Anita Coubadja-Toure BA came to Britain from Togo at the age of 12 and was in foster care from the age of 14 to 17. She studied Applied Performance, Community and Education at Birmingham City University and spent time working in Ghana, using theatre to raise HIV awareness.

After completing her degree she picked up sewing again, and her church led her back into community work. She was accepted for a one-year MA course in Fashion and Textiles at Derby University, and hopes to return to charity work in Africa.

Mariam Ghuffar BA was taken into a children’s home at 15, and was then in foster care until 18. After A levels in Birmingham, she undertook an undergraduate course in Education and Theology at Lincoln’s Bishop Grossetest University, and then went on to a MSc course in Human Resource Management at Lincoln University itself.

In addition to her studies, Mariam worked as a volunteer student advisor.