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Have you heard about the 23-year-old apprentice
ceramicist who went to Japan and France to study methods of ceramic
craft schools?
What about the 42-year-old choreographer who went
to the USA to find out about hip-hop dance?
This is just the tip of the iceberg. Hundreds of
people have benefited from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust
since it was set up after his death in 1965.
Described as the 'chance of a lifetime', the trust
is open to people of all ages and backgrounds.
But, as far as I'm concerned, is one of the best-kept
secrets around.
I first heard about the trust by accident, one
of those chance items you happen to spot among an endless surge
of e-mails and internal newsletters that anyone who works in an
office can identify with.
It sounded great on paper, the possibility of funding
to travel and see the world at the same time as doing something
to further your career or enhance a personal interest.
The first step was to check out the categories.
They change annually but usually cover areas as far reaching as
animal welfare, arts and crafts, business, conservation and young
people.
The only requirement to be eligible is that you
are a British citizen and have an individual project that you want
to take overseas for a period of 4-8 weeks.
Everyone has an equal chance and qualifications
are unimportant.
The idea is to attract people with a real passion
for a particular subject and those want to do something to contribute
to their community, occupation or own personal development.
The application
I applied under the category of the Voluntary Sector.
My work as a radio producer for social action broadcasting in the
91Èȱ¬ means that I am funded by a voluntary organisation called CSV
Media.
Winston Churchill
Credit: Karsh |
I work with volunteers to produce radio series
and events on subjects like health, education, learning and the
environment.
The point is to give listeners opportunities to
participate in, or find out more about, the subjects they hear on-air.
It is central to the 91Èȱ¬'s role as a public service broadcaster.
Thousands of people contact us every year in response to social
action features they hear on-air.
We're doing pretty well, but I had always wondered whether other
countries were doing the same. How do they deliver public service
broadcasting? Do their radio stations have a similar service?
After spending a few hours researching the subject on the Internet,
I eventually came up with my Fellowship proposal.
I found that public service and community radio
is a big thing in the USA and Canada, with volunteers and social
action at the heart of it. It looked like there was more to investigate
and, what's more, it would be of real value to my work.
A dream comes true
After two written applications and a not-too-scary
interview, I finally received the exciting news that I had been
selected to spend 8 weeks travelling around America and Canada meeting
radio producers and presenters and trying to learn what makes their
audience tick.
It was a dream come true, just the thought of
being able to travel and learn more about another country was unbelievable!
My trip begins at the radio conference in Albuquerque,
New Mexico, before moving on to San Francisco, Washington DC, Minnesota
and Montreal. I hope to see lots more of the country along the way.
This Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowship was
first presented to me as a "once-in-a-lifetime" opportunity and
privilege to travel in the name of a man that was voted the Greatest
Briton of our time. I can see that this was accurate.
Thousands of people contributed to the Memorial
Trust after Churchill's death in 1965, hoping it would serve as
a living tribute to his life. It is definitely working.
As I prepare for my travels I am reading more and
more about the man and his character. What marks him out is a drive
and ambition that made him determined to succeed in life, recovering
from setbacks along the way.
I hope I will be able to put those qualities into
practice on my travels and, more importantly, that I return to the
UK in a stronger position to make a difference to my life and community.
Maybe it's sentimental, but The Winston Churchill
Memorial Trust is showing me that there are opportunities out there,
whatever your background - you just have to be prepared to work
hard and make sure you are looking in the right places.
I'll be writing updates from my adventures for
the pages of bbc.co.uk/norfolk - click
here to follow my journey over the coming weeks.
Categories for 2005 Winston Churchill Fellowships
will be announced on 4 June 2004. You can find out more by visiting
the website at
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