Ipswich War Widows support UQ Ipswich

Ipswich War Widows support UQ Ipswich

The War Widows Guild of Australia (Queensland) Ipswich Club is the first group to support a bursary scholarship for students attending the University of Queensland's new UQ Ipswich campus.

UQ Ipswich opened this month with its first student intake for Orientation on February 15, and classes beginning on February 22.

The War Widows Guild Ipswich club is sponsoring a $500 annual bursary for a UQ Ipswich business student descended from a war widow. The bursary will be awarded for the first time in second semester this year.

Club president Mrs Beryl Schy said that treasurer Mrs Noela Stephens had suggested the bursary last year as a contribution the club could make to mark the arrival of the University of Queensland campus in Ipswich.

"We are supporting this educational initiative from the club's funds, which are largely raised through the efforts of 60 active members," she said.

University Development Office acting manager Saira Champion said members of the Friends of UQ Ipswich group were "delighted" that the club was supporting the campus.

Ms Champion is a sub-committee member of the Friends of UQ Ipswich Executive Committee, which is hoping to encourage community and group involvement in supporting UQ Ipswich with annual prizes or scholarships. The sub-committee also includes Ipswich City Councillor Gerard Pender, UQ Ipswich campus manager Warren Kerswill and Ms Jan Akroyd Bailey.

Ms Champion said details of a second UQ Ipswich bursary would soon be announced.

She said prize and bursary sponsorships were flexible, to suit the interests of donors. The University encouraged people who wished to be actively involved in their sponsorships to do so, from helping select students, to presenting the prizes, or receiving progress reports from recipients.

"We would love to hear from any individuals, businesses or groups who are interested in sponsoring a prize or bursary on their own, or joining with others to do so," she said.

For further information, contact Ms Champion, telephone 07 3221 8495.