Bursary Lunch 2026

Join us to celebrate our 2026 Unlocking Success Bursary winners and to raise money for next year’s scheme. Hear inspiring stories from people living in social housing who have been awarded bursaries to support them to fulfil their ambitions and network with leaders from the Northen housing sector.

The Unlocking Success Bursary Scheme, funded through the Northern Housing Consortium Charitable Trust, awards bursaries of up to £500 to help tenants develop learning and skills to support future employment. 100% of the proceeds from this event go into the Bursary fund and all NHC members can apply.

The event takes place on 4th December at Ramside Hall in Durham. Email Lynda.redshaw@northern-consortium.org.uk to secure one of the last remaining corporate tables.

Last year one of our winners was Claire Ogah, a Newcastle City Council tenant, wrote this poem to let us know what winning the bursary grant meant to her.

The Gift of Wings.

Good afternoon, Claire. Louise's email said...

I hope you are well.

Now that was a moment, 

Let me tell you about that moment—

the kind that changes everything,

the kind that arrives in an email on an ordinary gloomy day

and suddenly,

the ordinary becomes extraordinaryly bright.

"I am delighted to tell you that our application for the training bursary was successful."

Eee gawd 

Ten words.

Ten simple words that opened a door I didn't know I was strong enough to knock on.

Isn't that great?

I thought to myself 

No—it's more than great.

It's a validation,

a hand reaching through the screen saying,

"We see you claire . We believe in you. We are investing in your dream."

You see, I am an artist.

A cultural storyteller

I carry colour in my fingertips,

stories in my stylus,

Stories waiting to be illustrated into existence.

AS a digital creator,

a brand-builder,

a dreamer with calluses on my hands from holding hope too tightly.

And I am passionate—

oh, I am burning with passion—

about expanding my creative practice,

about building something sustainable,

something that doesn't just survive

but thrives 

in this beautiful, brutal world of art.

But I learnt swiftly that passion alone doesn't pay for courses.

Dreams don't cover the cost of industry standard software.

And talent raw, aching, desperate talent

sometimes sits in the corner,

quiet,

waiting for permission to bloom.

But this 

This grant

This bursary

It's not just money.

It's permission.

It's the ability to invest in training that will sharpen my vision,

in branding that will amplify my voice,

in techniques that will transform what I can offer the world.

These aren't just skills for me;

they are keys.

Keys to doors marked "New Opportunities,"

doors I've pressed my face against the glass of,

watching others walk through,

wondering if I'd ever get my turn.

And now?

Now I have been invited inside.

Thank you for my 

 dreams would've stayed theoretical,

beautiful but untouchable,

like stars you can see but never hold.

And here's something else.

Something I need you to understand.

I am a disabled artist.

I have felt invisible and secluded 

My body doesn't always cooperate with my ambition.

My creativity doesn't fit neatly into able-bodied assumptions

about how work should look,

how long I should be able to sit,

how much I should be able to push through.

My specialist needs would appear to be a

luxury, an indulgence, yet it 

Is a necessity for me to thrive safely and in comfort. 

to work comfortably,

to work safely,

And this bursary

It means I can create without my body screaming at me to stop.

It means I can work towards building a practice that's sustainable

not just economically,

but physically.

It means I don't have to choose between my art and my wellbeing.

I hope you understand what this means to me 

To not have to choose?

So thank you Tracy, and the team for the oportunity. Thank you. 

Thank you for saying yes to Me