£10,000 Lou Willcock Scholarship to support bespoke personal development

 

The OCC Trust, the registered charity that supports the educational agenda of the Oxford Cultural Collective, is offering one lucky recipient a grant of £10,000 to support their personal and professional development. The closing date for applications is 13th January 2023.

This is an amazing opportunity for anyone working or studying in food, drink or hospitality, who is aged between 18 – 35.

The winner of the scholarship will receive £10,000 to support a career development project of their choosing, as well as a personal mentor for a year.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED

 

Applicants are invited to propose a personal or professional development project that reflects their aspirations and passions and that will have a lasting legacy. This might involve overseas travel to engage in a distinctive learning experience; the acquisition of skills that enable a move from a corporate role to entrepreneurial life; or the launch of a community project that will extend opportunities to others. The OCC Trust places no limits on applicants’ creativity and is looking forward to receiving truly innovative proposals.

Project proposals should be well constructed and show evidence of appropriate planning and research. The OCC Trust will work with winning applicants to further refine project proposals and to help make them happen in the most effective way possible.

The OCC Trust is keen to receive project proposals that have a strong social purpose, which are likely to benefit others, and encourages applications from those representing a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures.

The maximum grant available is £10,000.

 

The scholarship has been created to honour the legacy of Lou Willcock (1961 – 2018), a creative force in hospitality, who was a close friend and colleague of many in the OCC community. In addition to achieving great personal success as an entrepreneur, she dedicated herself to supporting others as a mentor and guide. Her relentlessly positive, hopeful and inquiring approach had a life-affirming
impact on all who knew her.

 

The members of the judging panel for the 2023 Lou Willcock Scholarship are:

Ravinder Bhogal is an award-winning food writer, journalist and stylist. She is the author of two cookbooks and has a regular column in the FT. Ravinder is chef proprietor of Jikoni in London’s Marylebone, which she opened in 2016.

Tom Parker Bowles is an award-winning restaurant critic and food writer. He is Food Editor of Esquire, a Contributing Editor to Conde Nast Traveller and the author of eight books. He is also a regular judge on BBC 1’s Masterchef.

Ceri Butcher is Head of Development and Alumni Relations at Green Templeton College, University of Oxford, before which she was Head of External Relations for Oxford Brookes University. She is a Trustee of the OCC Trust.

Anna Klenert is an educator who has over 20 years of experience in the design, delivery and management of higher education. She is a specialist in leadership and talent development through coaching and mentoring. Anna is Secretary of the OCC Trust.

Martin Holden-White is the founder of Grubby, which aims to make cooking and eating high quality plant-based foods more accessible and convenient. Grubby has achieved rapid growth through investment and is now one of the UK’s leading food box delivery companies. Martin is Chair of the OCC Trust.