Young people who are wanting to travel abroad and experience foreign culture can apply for funding towards the cost.
The Mary Grave Trust was set up in 1971 by Burton Dunglinson in memory of his mother, Mary Grave, who was from Maryport. Having worked in America in the 1920s, Mr Dunglinson was aware of the value of travel for young people.
The trust began working with Cumbria Community Foundation in 2005. It awards an average of £55,000 each year, supporting more than 70 young people, primarily from West Cumbria.
Young people aged 11-21 can apply for up to £1,200 if they are travelling abroad through educational or youth group trips, work experience or gap year activities. Priority is given to those living in Workington, Maryport and Whitehaven areas and is means-tested, meaning household income must be £594 or less per week.
Most grants fund school trips such as language trips to France and Spain or art and religious studies trips to New York. Other activities supported include work experience in Spain, peer education in The Gambia, a maths winter school in Singapore, an expedition up the Amazon and a guide exchange visit to Eastern Siberia.
Mark Bailey, Deputy Headteacher at Netherhall School, said: “I have organised more than 30 international trips over the last two decades and during that time, hundreds of our students have benefited from the support of the Mary Grave Trust. Seeing at first hand the seminal experiences gained by our students has been a true joy; our school cannot thank Cumbria Community Foundation enough for the support it has shown to our young people and the phenomenal experiences it has provided. The impact that the foreign tours have had on each and every student has been incredible.”
Year 13 student, Chloe Lambert, said: “Without the Mary Grave Trust, I wouldn’t have been able to visit New York and fulfil my dreams of going to such a magical city. What the Trust does is remarkable, and I will be forever grateful to it.”
Gary Higgs, Grants & Donor Services Officer at Cumbria Community Foundation, said: “The Mary Grave Trust, which is now worth £1.8 million, is a great example of local philanthropy and how one man has left a lasting legacy for local young people to enjoy for years to come.”
If you would like to apply for a grant, contact Cumbria Community Foundation on 01900 825760 or visit: https://www.cumbriafoundation.org/fund/mary-grave-trust-fund/
