First Jane Slowey Memorial Bursary recipients shine a light on social injustice

Yesterday, Commonweal Housing staff, trustees and friends welcomed Jessica Duncan and Alex Cirant-Taljaard to present their research as a celebration of their receipt of the Jane Slowey Memorial Bursary.

The bursary remembers Commonweal’s late Trustee Jane Slowey, who had a huge impact on the charity during her ten years in the position until her death in 2017. 

Members of Jane’s family joined Commonweal staff, trustees and friends to hear research presentations from the two winners, on exempt accommodation and student fuel poverty respectively.  

Audience members were told of the immense positive impact of the award on Alex and Jessica’s final year of study: both in terms of financial aid and the confidence being acknowledged with the bursary instilled in them. 

Jessica’s study investigated ‘Risk, Safety and Wellbeing’ in the growing ‘exempt accommodation’ sector in Birmingham, whilst Alex’s demonstrated the benefits of applying social harm theory to understanding the causes and effects of student fuel poverty.

Alex Cirant-Taljaard said, “Receiving this award has given me much more than just financial assistance. It’s Commonweal’s support of my research, and belief in me, that has encouraged me to think bigger than I otherwise would have and ultimately be more successful in my final year of study.”

The bursary is open to undergraduate students in Birmingham University’s School of Social Policy, whose final year dissertation is focused around housing, social justice and young people. The next recipients of the Jane Slowey Memorial Bursary will be announced shortly. 

Guest blogs from this year’s recipients of the award will be published soon on Commonweal’s website. 

To find out more about the bursary, visit the University of Birmingham’s website. 

Our thanks go to BDB Pitmans for kindly lending us their space to hold this event.