Tata Global Beverages awards 2014 Magical Moments Scholarships

The winners with Graeme Karavis, Managing Director - UK & Ireland, Tata Global Beverages

Tata Global Beverages has announced the recipients of its 2014 Magical Moments Scholarships with Brunel University, marking the third year of a partnership designed to encourage fair access to education.

Entrants to the £15,000 scholarship scheme were asked to submit 300 words on the theme of Magical Moments, describing a point in everyday life when a hidden moment is discovered and what makes it so magical. Ashley Toppin-Hector received the highest scholarship award of £3,000 for his description of how his 26 mile daily commute from South London to Brunel University represents a journey through time, of his own life and the experience of others.

To read the top four essays please click here.

Commenting on the scholarship award, Ashley said: “I’m delighted to have been given an opportunity to participate in the competition and I’m elated that my submission was deemed worthy of the top award. When faced with the 'Magical Moments' task I really just allowed my pen to run away along with my thoughts. I would like to thank Tata Global Beverages for their kind gesture, it is very much appreciated and will prove to be invaluable; contributing towards funding for relevant CPD seminars, workshops and courses that will help me on my route to Chartered Engineer status."

Additional scholarships were awarded to: Tycjan Jaworski; Kane Harrison; Evangeline Chamdal; Kateri Dabreo; Joshua Maguire; Marley Edwards and Romell Dawkins.

The Magical Moments Scholarships comprise of support grants ranging from £3,000 to £1,200 awarded to students at Brunel University who have taken part in its Urban Scholars Programme which provides opportunities for students to enhance their academic performance, self-confidence, critical thinking, teamwork, and presentation skills.

Ajoy Misra, CEO of Tata Global Beverages, commented on the awards: “Our Magical Moments Scholarships are founded on the belief that young people should have fair access to education regardless of their background or situation.

“We are proud to continue our association with Brunel’s Urban Scholars programme and its proven success in surfacing talent and raising aspirations. This year’s submissions were an inspiration to us all, demonstrating that magical moments are often to be found in the simplest of things, from catching up with friends, to enjoying a cup of tea or a hobby.”

Professor Valsa Koshy, director of the Brunel Able Children’s Centre (BACE) which operates the Urban Scholars programme, said: “We are delighted to have the support of Tata Global Beverages for the third year running. The Urban Scholars programme has been a huge success for Brunel, ensuring pupils have every opportunity to excel, regardless of their background or the type of school they attend. The scholarships will give these students the support they need to achieve at the very highest level.”

About Brunel University

Brunel's research-led, flexible courses are highly regarded by employers for their combina-tion of academic rigour with practical relevance. As a campus university - a rarity in the Lon-don area - Brunel's 14,000 students enjoy a strong sense of community, and over £400 mil-lion of investment in social, teaching, accommodation and sporting facilities has made the campus environment modern and vibrant. Brunel is proud to play host to over 2500 interna-tional students from over 110 different countries, creating a diverse and cosmopolitan at-mosphere.

About the Urban Scholars Programme

The mission is to offer a supplementary programme for participating students. The pro-gramme is based on the latest research and thereby the aim is to enhance student academic performance and aspirations.

It is an intervention programme which aims to work through strong partnerships with local authorities, schools and parents to create challenging and enriching experiences for able and potentially able students who need additional opportunities to enhance their academic performance, self - confidence, critical thinking, team work and presentational skills.

Scholars are encouraged to develop intellectual curiosity and follow their interests and pas-sions. The programme supports them in raising their aspirations to be engaged in higher levels of learning and become lifelong learners.

For more information please visit: http://www.brunel.ac.uk/sse/education/research/bace/urban