Meet the KCCF Scholars Turning Talent into Opportunity

Preserving heritage skills for future generations

Through KCCF’s support of Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST), Shannon is developing specialist skills in coppice-grown wood, basketry and green woodworking.

As a QEST Emerging Maker, Shannon is training with five master craftspeople to gain expertise in traditional basketry, woven oak structures and wooden vessel-making techniques that are rarely taught in depth today. Through this work, Shannon is helping to preserve and advance valuable woodland-based craft traditions while demonstrating their continuing relevance in the modern world.

Looking ahead, Shannon hopes to establish a workshop that supports apprentices, offers specialist training and engages wider audiences with woodland crafts and sustainable land management.

Reflecting on the opportunity, Shannon said:

I am passionate about keeping woodland-based heritage crafts alive and relevant today. QEST’s incredible support will help me continue my journey of learning, practising and sharing critically endangered craft skills with others.

Finding a voice through music

Through KCCF’s partnership with Armonico Consort, Ekene, a talented young singer from Coventry, is benefiting from world-class music training, expert mentorship and inspiring performance opportunities.

What began as an after-school club has become a transformative experience, helping Ekene develop her talent, confidence and aspirations for the future.

She said:

When I first joined AC Academy at the age of 9, no one would have guessed how important it would turn out for me. It was an after-school club that I went to with my friends; doing what I love most, singing. But now, it is so much more.

I am now not only a member of AC Academy Coventry but an AC Scholar too. For that, I am immensely grateful. This academy has helped blossom my confidence, expand my horizons and teach me things that I didn’t think I would ever know.

Singing in front of a massive audience, learning song lyrics by heart and learning parts of music theory are all things that I have been able to learn thanks to AC Academy. I have always loved singing and joining this choir has given me a chance to explore my passion and given me a voice, both literally and metaphorically.

Ekene’s experience demonstrates how targeted support can help young people build confidence, develop their talents and access opportunities that shape their future.

Opening doors to higher education and future careers

Through KCCF’s support of The Amos Bursary, Kadeem and Ridge are developing the skills, confidence and networks needed to pursue exciting careers.

Kadeem is studying Product Design and Manufacture Engineering at the University of Nottingham and hopes to become a mechanical design engineer. Passionate about designing machines and mechanisms using computer-aided design (CAD), he aspires to work within a multidisciplinary engineering firm and, in time, establish his own business.

Through The Amos Bursary Programme, Kadeem has broadened his understanding of the opportunities available to him and strengthened his confidence to pursue ambitious goals. Alongside his professional ambitions, he hopes one day to use his success to support others through philanthropy.

Meanwhile, Ridge is studying Industrial Economics with Insurance at the University of Nottingham and is working towards a future career in asset management or insurance. Determined to achieve a First-class degree, he is actively seeking internship opportunities and experiences that will help him further develop his skills and understanding of the financial sector.

Through The Amos Bursary Programme, Ridge has gained confidence, explored new opportunities and developed a clearer understanding of potential career pathways within finance.

For both students, the scholarship provides support with living costs alongside mentoring, professional development opportunities and access to valuable networks and experiences, helping them focus on their studies and prepare for future careers.