The Kusuma Trust has announced their 2020 Excellence Prize and Professional Development Award winners.

A statement from Kusuma Trust follows below:

Excellence Prize 

The Kusuma Excellence Prize is a one-off grant of £3,000 and is awarded annually to students who  perform exceptionally well at A-level or undergraduate level, obtain a place at a leading university  and are involved in voluntary work within the community. 

The prize is an incentive for high achieving students to pursue their chosen subject and have the  best possible opportunities to study at the best universities.  

This year, due to the exceptional standard of applications, we are delighted to announce that an  unprecedented eight Excellence Prizes have been awarded to local students in recognition of their  academic achievements and their contribution to the community. 

• Daniel Jess studying MSCi Theoretical Physics at University College London.
• Katerina Zagurova studying BA History at the University of Oxford. 
• Natalie Yeo studying BEng Civil Engineering at the University of Bath. 
• Sophie Macdonald studying BA English at the University of Cambridge.
• Jeremy Victor studying BMBS Medicine at the University of Plymouth.
• Theresa Payas studing BSc Mathematics at the University of Lancaster.
• Zacariah Parkin studying BSc Physics at the University of Durham. 
• Annalee Wellend studying for a Doctorate in Educational and Child Psychology at  University College London. 

After what has been a difficult and challenging year, we would like to congratulate all those who  reached the high standard required to apply, and in particular those who were awarded a Kusuma  Trust Excellence Prize. 

Dr Soma Pujari, executive trustee and co-founder of Kusuma Trust Gibraltar commented:  “Excellence award interviews are one of the highlights for me in the trusts Calendar. it is an  absolute pleasure to meet these bright young students striving to make their mark and contribute  to the community of Gibraltar. I want to congratulate them for their well-deserved success.”

Professional Development Grant 

Every year the Kusuma Trust Professional Development Award enables individuals working in  Gibraltar to undertake professional development courses that will provide a benefit to the local  community. This year nine awards will enable local 

Despite the challenges presented by Covid19, we received some excellent applications from  individuals determined to continue their professional development online and remotely where  necessary. In total we will have awarded nine Professional Development Awards, including six  individuals who wish to enhance their skills through the following courses: 

• Post Graduate Diploma in Counselling
• MSc Advanced Clinical Practice in Physiotherapy
• Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction teacher training course
• Sensory Integration Practicioner training
• CPCAB Level 3 Counselling
• Interpersonal Mediation Practicioners Certificate 

In addition, we will be supporting one representative from Clubhouse Gibraltar and two from the  Citizens Advice Bureau will complete the following training with the aim of improving the services  to the community: 

• Mental Health First Aid Instructor - Adult & Youth
• Interpersonal Mediation Practicioners Certificate

Our Professional Development Awards provide financial support where there is no funding  available from the Government or employers. Recipients of the funding must be working in areas  that directly benefit those living and working in Gibraltar. We would like to congratulate all the  recipients and wish them all the best in their training and development. 

For more information about Kusuma Trust Gibraltar and our work in the local community,  including how to apply for the 2021 Excellence Prize and Professional Development Awards,  please visit our website www.kusumatrust.gi and follow us on social media.