When Ruth applied for our 2023 Bursary Programme, her goal was to secure her first board role and make a difference within her local community. As a mature STEM PhD student, a remote admin professional and a working mum, Ruth was keen to bring a fresh perspective to conversations at board level, particularly concerning diversity and inclusion issues and aligned with her values.

With her evident determination to find a board role, a clear passion for making a difference, and a wide range of transferable skills, we were delighted to offer Ruth one of the six places on our 2023 Bursary Programme. 

Ready to get involved from the start and make the most of the Bursary, Ruth found the Peer Support Group an immediate and long-lasting source of support. “The Peer Support Group was really helpful. We all came together with different backgrounds and different career paths and helped each other – even after the official group ended, we have all stayed in touch and continue to provide support to one another, sharing skills and advice.”  

From networking events to our online courses, Ruth made full use of the support available from the Bursary. Ruth even credits the Bursary with helping her secure an even better day job after being made redundant, and she felt it gave her an additional boost when applying for board roles.

“The Bursary has benefited me in many ways, from building my network and improving my skills to boosting my confidence when applying for roles. I recommend it to anyone who’s thinking of applying.”

Having bided her time for the right role – with plenty of research on our Vacancy Board in the meantime – Ruth was delighted to secure her first board role with local charity Al Masaar.
Based in the Forth Valley, Al Masaar is about supporting communities and providing a positive understanding of race and equality to the wider community in the Forth Valley area.

It aims to provide practical and social support to members of the local Ethnic Minority community, especially those facing isolation and vulnerability, through outreach services. It also works to develop communication skills amongst ethnic minority youths and adults to enable them to become confident members of the Scottish society they live in.

Ruth looks forward to settling into her new role and is excited to consider securing her next board role.

Your next steps…

Want to have your own success story? Applications for the 2024 Bursary Programme are now open and will close on Wednesday 8th April.