“I was privileged enough to be able to study Law at Durham, and without paying fees. It was an opportunity which transformed my life. It is my further great privilege to be able to offer, through this Scholarship, a modest helping hand to Black members of the student law community – and those, still too few, who aspire to join them. I am greatly looking forward to meeting the successful applicants (if they are willing to do so – not an entry requirement!)”

Joel Donovan KC, St Aidan’s – BA Law, 1986

Previous Law Scholar, Samuel, Trevelyan College, says:

“I am writing this letter to express my thanks, appreciation and honour for being the recipient of your Scholarship. I left school at 16 with no qualifications, I never thought I’d be going to university, let alone Durham, let alone being awarded such a generous scholarship. If I’m honest it all feels like a dream.

I have been overwhelmed with the amount of opportunity has been available to me at Durham university. This year, I am the welfare officer for the People of Colour Association, the Campaigns officer for the Students with Disabilities association, I qualified as a first aider with, Durham Links, the universities branch of St John’s Ambulance and I was able to volunteer at the London Marathon.  I am also the Campaigns officer for the Northern Society, the Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic officer for the Labour Club and BAME rep for the LGBT+ association. None of this would have been possible without the financial aid I am receiving thanks to your Scholarship.

I was always told when I was younger that I would never even be a manager in McDonald’s, and now I am being incredibly blessed by these amazing institutions that I only ever feared growing up. You are doing an incredible thing by supporting students from backgrounds like mine, I honestly can’t thank you enough for the positive impact you are having on my life.”