Northern Ireland residents scoop six prestigious Churchill Travelling Fellowships

The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust has awarded 150 travelling Fellowships across the UK.

Six of these grants, totalling almost £42,325 have been awarded to people in Northern Ireland. The Fellows will travel to nine countries between them, across five continents, where they will carry out a wide range of projects. The average length of a Fellowship is six weeks.

This year’s Northern Ireland Fellows include:

• Dr Nicola Doherty, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist from Slaghtmanus, Derry, who will be travelling to the Netherlands, Canada and the USA to research integrative working approaches to addressing infant mental health.
• Dearbhaile Heaney, from Belfast, and founder of The Holding Project, who will be travelling to Finland, Sweden and the USA to research affordable housing initiatives for young people.
• Rebecca Hunter, from Belfast, and Living Seas Manager at Ulster Wildlife, who will be travelling to Australia, Canada and New Zealand to study best practice in fisheries policy development to support marine conservation.
• Shane Quinn, from Belfast, and Development Manager at Belfast Buildings Trust, who will be travelling to Columbia and the USA to investigate projects aimed at regenerating cities through utilising their cultural heritage.
• Maura Muldoon, from Belfast, and Head of Policing within the community for the Police Service of Northern Ireland, who will be travelling to Estonia, New Zealand and Sweden to investigate how new technologies can help improve community policing.

Since its inception in February 1965, 5,400 ordinary men and women have been awarded Churchill Fellowships, from over 100,000 applicants. The ethos remains the same five decades on – for individuals to visit different parts of the world in pursuit of new and better ways of tackling a wide range of social, environmental, medical and scientific issues. The new approaches and innovative ideas with which they return are shared to benefit their local and regional communities, and, in many cases, the nation.

Before his death in 1965, Sir Winston was adamant that he did not wish to have another statue as his memorial, so he approved the setting up of The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust (www.wcmt.org.uk) as his national memorial and living legacy, for the benefit of future generations. Millions of grateful people gave personal contributions to the public appeal.

“Churchill Fellows are motivated and talented individuals who travel globally and return with innovative ideas and a commitment to share their findings to help others in the UK,” says Julia Weston, Chief Executive of The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.

Churchill Fellows come from all over the UK and from many different backgrounds. They must be UK citizens aged 18 or over, but no qualifications are required. What Fellows share is a passion to make a difference and a desire to share their passion to inspire others.

Notes to Editors:

In total 150 Fellowships have been awarded across the UK in 2017, an investment of over £1,400,000 in UK citizens. The Fellows will be travelling to 49 countries between them, across six continents. The categories for the 2018 Winston Churchill Travelling Fellowships will be announced on 09 May 2017.

See www.wcmt.org.uk for more details.

We have many examples of Fellows’ stories of achievement from 1965 to the present day. If you would like one from a particular year or location, or would like to interview a Fellow, please contact The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Press Office on 020 7799 1660, or email press@wcmt.org.uk