Witherby Publishing Group Charitable Trust
The Witherby Publishing Group Charitable Trust project at UHI helps talented individuals from rural and island communities who would otherwise struggle to access learning opportunities.
As part of the project, the Witherby Publishing Group Charitable Trust Scholarship will be awarded to one new student each year, studying any HE course at any of UHI’s partner colleges. The scholarship recipient will be awarded £3,000 per year throughout their time at UHI (up to 4 years / £12,000).
Students will also be able to apply for bursaries of up to £1000 to help them buy equipment, attend conferences, take part in field trips or to help with unexpected costs.
Witherby Publishing is a London based publishing company which has the accolade of being the oldest independent publishing company in the English-speaking language. It is the world’s largest independent marine publisher in addition to being one of Scotland’s largest publishing companies. The project with UHI is thanks to Iain Macneil, owner and CEO of Witherby Publishing Group, along with the other trustees.
Iain was awarded an honorary doctorate from UHI in 2022 and was inspired to explore how Witherby Publishing Group Charitable Trust could support talented individuals from island and rural communities.
“It was a moving experience for me at the graduation ceremony to see first-hand so many people from the Highlands and Islands being helped to attain further and higher education, regardless of their age. Often the education and career decisions we make in our mid-to-late teens and early twenties do not reflect our actual skills or potential, and the engagement work that UHI is undertaking in the rural communities of the North and West of Scotland, with students of all ages, is incredibly important. The potential benefits that are achievable when people recognise that it’s not too late to learn or re-skill was something that our charitable trust definitely wanted to get behind and we are delighted to be supporting UHI in this cause.”
Iain Macneil, owner and CEO of Witherby Publishing Group
Witherby Publishing Group Charitable Trust Scholarship Recipients
Below you will find our most recent recipients of the scholarship
Alfie Poole
Alfie Poole from Uist was the first recipient of a Witherby Publishing Group Charitable Trust Scholarship in 2023, and he has now started the BEng Electrical and Mechanical Engineering at UHI Inverness.
“It’s an honour to have been selected for the Witherby Publishing Group Charitable Trust Entrance Scholarship. The scholarship has helped me enormously to pursue my goals as it allows me to study full time without having to worry financially. I thank you again as this means a lot to me and will have a great impact on my next few years.” - Alfie Poole
“I highly appreciate being awarded this scholarship which will help reduce the financial barriers I face in my learning, allowing me to gain more knowledge and understanding of the subject and useful experiences. I believe it will enable me to purchase equipment, take part in field trips and excursions and reduce my need to take on part-time work, enabling me to focus on and allocate more time to my studies. I hope to study at The University Centre in Svalbard in my third year, eventually graduating with a degree in Marine Science with Arctic Studies. This scholarship will give me the funds to do so and therefore help me prepare to continue on a career path in Arctic research. I am extremely grateful for the financial aid of this scholarship, enabling me to study Marine Science, a subject that fascinates and is important to me, at an institution that I highly admire.” - Katy Primrose