Donate to the Lou Willcock Scholarship and support life changing experiences

Professor David Russell and Michelle Harbour – founding donors to Lou Willcock Scholarship

Join others who are donating to the Lou Willcock Scholarship, to support life changing experiences for young people working or studying in food, drink and hospitality.

The Oxford Cultural Collective, through its registered charity, has established the Lou Willcock Scholarship to help talented young people build their careers in food, drink and hospitality.

Each year, one candidate will receive a grant of £10,000 to support a creative professional development project which, in addition to benefiting them personally, should have a positive impact on others. The shortlist for the 2023 Lou Willcock Scholarship has recently been announced.

The Lou Willcock Scholarship has been made possible through the generous support of our founding financial donors, who share OCC’s values and objectives.

Call for support

Follow link to donate to the Lou Willcock Scholarship

We would be very grateful for any financial donations, no matter how large or small, which will ensure the Lou Willcock Scholarship is able to support young people who are working or studying in food, drink and hospitality. Funds are received by the OCC Trust (registered charity number 1191568), and personal donations attract an additional 25% gift aid.

Message from founding donors

Professor David Russell and Michelle Harbour explain why the Russell Partnership Collection has become a founding donor to the Lou Willcock Scholarship, and why they would urge others to follow their example:

“First and foremost, we want the Lou Willcock Scholarship to change the lives of the chosen winners. We want them to face challenges, build knowledge, value education, engage in research and secure professional networks, in ways that wouldn’t be possible without this kind of creative support.

Of course, supporting the scholarship is the perfect means of remembering and honouring Lou. She had an incredible ability to influence others through her contagious positive energy. She left a ‘mark’ on everyone she met, which was quite simply unique.

Lou had a passion for supporting students and those in the early stages of their careers. She was particularly committed to opening up opportunities to those from diverse backgrounds, including young people who might not otherwise have access to education, by exposing them to new ideas and sources of inspiration. This was dear to Lou’s heart.

From the outset, our vision for the Russell Partnership Collection was that it should make a positive difference – and for many years Lou was part of the team who helped achieve that vision. The scholarship is a fitting initiative to ensure we never forget Lou’s contribution, her impact on so many and on the industry as a whole.

We hope others will join us in supporting the Lou Willcock Scholarship.”