Once in a Lifetime Opportunities

The Prince of Wales’s Lodge Bicentenary Fund is one of 20 Subsidiary Funds administered by the Royal Masonic Trust for Girls and Boys (RMTGB). It was established in 1987 as an educational prize fund where the prizes given are known as fellowships.
     Fellowships are awarded to assist eligible candidates to travel to any part of the world, outside the UK. Trustees look particularly for trips that enable candidates to interact with local people at a level beyond that of a regular tourist.
     Originally only available to beneficiaries of the RMTGB in their final year at school, the fund has recently been opened up to any child in their final year at school. The fund is intended to support children from lower income families; therefore all awards are means-tested.
     Any young person wishing to apply for a fellowship should send a letter of application to the RMTGB and include a travel itinerary and their reasons for wishing to undertake the journey. Applications are accepted all year round.
     Candidates also need to submit a report from their head teacher outlining their academic achievements and conduct at school during the previous year (a copy of their most recent full report is usually sufficient).
     Fellowships are awarded to the candidate(s) who have shown either the greatest achievements or the greatest endeavour throughout the previous year.
     Chrystal (pictured) received a fellowship of £1,225 to undertake a 30-day expedition to Bolivia. Whilst there she joined a voluntary project working with street children, helped out at a local school and undertook treks through the rainforest and the Andes mountains. Chrystal has just completed a degree in Zoology.
     Recently a fellowship of £2,050 was awarded to Sharina to undertake a visit to Israel, where she will take a number of tours through Jerusalem as well as spending some time in the Negev desert.
     A second fellowship of £1,050 has been awarded to Samantha, who is going to Uganda as a group leader for a party of school-aged children. The group will be working with the Rwandan refugee population on building and school-based projects.
     Funds are limited and so the value of the fellowships awarded varies each year.
     Fellowships might be lower than those mentioned above if the Trustees receive a large number of strong applications.
     Candidates are usually expected to undertake some fundraising and contribute what they can towards their trip.

Overseas expeditions provide a lifechanging experience for many young people and the RMTGB is pleased to receive applications for fellowships on behalf of the Prince of Wales’s Lodge Trustees.

For more information about any of the Subsidiary Funds administered by the RMTGB, please contact Kerry Whitford at the RMTGB or check the Subsidiary Fund pages of our website at www.rmtgb.org

RMTGB CONTACT DETAILS

     60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ
     Tel: 020 7405 2644
     Fax: 020 7831 4094
     info@rmtgb.org
     www.rmtgb.org