Gwenyth Wright has long been an advocate for furthering women’s education, and now a study grant named in her honour is inviting residents to do just that.
Applications are open for the Thames Women’s Loan Fund’s Gwenyth Wright Study Grant.
Available for women aged over 17 from the Thames, Coromandel, and Hauraki areas, the scholarship offers $1000 to help out with the costs relating to study.
Mrs Wright said it was “more important than ever” to help women achieve and develop their skill set.
“When we first started off, the great demand was from people who couldn’t manage on their small pensions and salaries. It’s lovely that we can now do something that is more constructive,” she said.
In 1992, Mrs Wright helped establish the Wellington Women’s Loan Fund, and the idea “spread like wildfire”.
She established the Thames fund in 2003, and she has been a trustee of the fund since its inception. They’ve often been dubbed “the angel bank”, she said, as the fund provided interest-free loans for helping women into a business venture, furthering their education or work training, or urgent help with a personal matter.
Mrs Wright’s accomplishments earned her a Queen’s Service Medal in 2020 for her services to women and the community.
The Gwenyth Wright Study Grant is in its third year, and its namesake said it was “lovely” to be able to expand on how many people they were able to help.
“I think it’s very positive and very forward-looking,” she said.
Applications have previously been varied, from midwives, music students, and women undertaking counselling or journalism courses, to one applicant wanting to obtain a forklift licence to further their career.
To apply, applicants must be New Zealand residents or citizens; have ties to Thames, Coromandel or Hauraki areas; proof of enrolment for education courses in 2021; two references, one academic and one character; a CV and cover letter; and information about other grants or scholarships applied for or received for 2021 education.
Applications close February 26, and the grant will be gifted on Friday, March 12.
For more details visit: www.thameswomensloanfund.weebly.com.
By KELLEY TANTAU
PHOTO: Women’s advocate Gwenyth Wright, 94, encourages all females wanting to further their education to apply for the study grant. (Photo: KELLEY TANTAU/VALLEY PROFILE)
