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Major grant from the Dulverton Trust

The Dulverton Trust has awarded a grant of £90,000 over three years, which will enable the Anna Plowden Trust to offer more Conservation Training Bursaries than ever before.

The Anna Plowden Trust is the only charity dedicated to supporting conservation training and has awarded nearly 200 bursaries since it was founded in 1998. However, training to be a professional conservator is costly and, with student debt rising, the Anna Plowden Trust’s funds are heavily oversubscribed each year.

Dr David Saunders, Chairman of the Anna Plowden Trust, said: “This generous support from the Dulverton Trust is tremendously welcome.  When the academic year begins shortly thanks to our help a record number of 32 conservation students will be studying on 14 different courses, in the full range of conservation specialisms.

Andrew Stafford, Director of the Dulverton Trust said, “ We are delighted to be working with the Anna Plowden Trust once more.  Craft and conservation training are key priorities for our trustees and the Anna Plowden Trust is a leading funder of conservation training. This major, three-year, commitment will ensure that even more talented individuals can train as conservators and begin careers caring for our national heritage.”

Among the students being supported in 2016/17, will be Keira Miller who will be in her final year on the MPhil Textile Conservation programme at Glasgow University.  Keira said

"I am passionate about becoming a trained conservator and it is the Anna Plowden Trust’s support that is helping me to achieve this. It is fantastic to know that even more students will be supported thanks to the Dulverton Trust."Back to site

Puneeta Sharma received a bursary from the Anna Plowden Trust in 2013, enabling her to train as a paper conservator.  After a successful internship at the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, Puneeta is now working at the Royal Library and Archives at Windsor Castle:

"Thanks to the APT I was able to complete my degree. I am thoroughly enjoying my work at the Royal Archives, where I have the opportunity to work on incredible items of cultural heritage. It was the Anna Plowden Trust’s bursary that made this career possible for me and I am so grateful that I can now do what I love for a living!"

Craig Horsfall received a bursary from the Trust in 2006.  Craig says: Craig Horsfall received a bursary from the Trust in 2006.  Craig says:

"I was so grateful to have had the Anna Plowden Trust’s support while I was studying paper conservation at Northumbria University; it gave me a great start to my career. I am now Senior Conservator at John Jones in London, where my work focuses on the care of modern art and providing training to share my skills."