SkillsActive / Nancy Ovens Trust Bursary Scheme

In June 2005 SkillsActive entered a partnership with the Nancy Ovens Trust to sponsor an exciting new skills development bursary aimed at coaches or leaders who work with young people.

The bursary, sponsored by SkillsActive and awarded by the Nancy Ovens Trust, is aimed at paid or voluntary coaches and leaders who work with children and young people in the active leisure and learning sector. The bursary is awarded to a coach or leader to allow them to enhance their own skills and knowledge by taking part in studies or activities outside of their community.

Awarded annually, the bursary is worth up to £2,500 and may be used by the selected individual to undertake an alternative work experience or training within the UK or EU. The maximum length of the work experience is two months. The Nancy Ovens Trust awarded the first bursary in 2006.

The Nancy Ovens Trust is delighted that SkillsActive is able to support and fund this award. It helps the many skilled coaches, leaders and workers out there to benefit from the opportunity to undertake training or work with another community group, giving them the chance to bring their expertise and know-how back to their own community or project.

These days, community coaches, leaders and workers are so busy that they seldom get the chance to experience similar work going on elsewhere. The Bursary is designed to help provide someone with the opportunity to visit another project or access training that they have always been interested in but would not otherwise have had the opportunity to.

A former Board member of SPRITO, the national training organisation and SkillsActive's predecessor, Nancy Ovens MBE was an enthusiastic supporter of education, training and development of skills in the active leisure and learning sector. Nancy championed the development of work-based skills in the sport and leisure industry and contributed significantly to improvements in services over the years.

Information on recipients of the Bursary is contained in our case studies section of the website.