Teen pursuing a career in events management with help of £1k scholarship

Ellie-Louise Wilkinson, 19, has received the four-figure windfall from Leeds Beckett University where she is studying events management.

The Bright Futures Scholarship, as it is known, aims to offer financial support to those who might otherwise be unable to afford a university education. They are awarded to first year students who are the first in their family to go to university and are based on academic merit, with funding for the scheme provided by Leeds Beckett alumni.

Ellie-Louise, a former King Edward VI pupil, said she inherited her passion for events from her mother who took her to music festivals when she was a child. She said, however, the decision to attend university was not an easy one.

“Nobody in my family has had the chance to go to university before,” she said. “When I told my mum I’d been accepted into Leeds Beckett University, she was so excited for me, but told me she wouldn’t able to support me financially so we were both ecstatic when I found out I’d been accepted for this scholarship.”