Scholarship to the stars
August 2009
Continuing investment in third sector leaders develops skills to manage in the recession
At a time when third sector leaders are experiencing the pressures of the recession, there is an increasing need for strong management skills in leaders and managers. To support third sector leaders The Cranfield Trust and Cranfield School of Management are offering two full fee scholarships on Cranfield’s world class MBA programme to voluntary sector leaders in Europe.
Building on their investment of £340,000 over the past six years, the trust and the school will award the scholarships in January 2010, with additional financial support provided from this year’s alumni annual fund. Past scholarship winners come from large and small employers, but all are characterised by their ambition to develop themselves and their organisations.
Jane Hatfield, now director of policy, planning and research for Breast Cancer Care, and one of the first scholarship winners in 2004, said: ‘I am very proud of the fact that I did the MBA and did well – it increased my confidence in my ability as a manager and gave me the confidence to apply for a more senior role. It also widened my view of the world. It is easy when you have worked predominantly in one sector to get a bit stuck in your views of the world – the MBA reminded me that there are many ways of looking at the world – and of changing it!’
Managers in voluntary organisations are given the opportunity to study on an internationally recognised programme, alongside a diverse group of managers from a range of backgrounds. ‘For people in the sector who are interested in leading their organisations to positive, innovative and sustainable futures it’s a fantastic opportunity,’ says Amanda Tincknell, chief executive of the trust and herself a Cranfield MBA graduate.
Current scholarship holder Beth Green reports: ‘Originally I saw an MBA as a long-term investment; and whilst I do not dispute this, I’ve been able to add practical value to my organisation from the start of the course. As an assistant director of The Children’s Society, the focus on personal development has helped equip me with knowledge and confidence to lead and further develop sound business practice in the voluntary sector, taking any learning directly back to my organisation. For me, this has been in areas where the organisation has struggled to achieve successful business models, such as monitoring and evaluation, strategic planning and commissioning of new work.’
Reviewing the last five years, Amanda Tincknell said: ‘We believe that these scholarships are contributing to a new generation of third sector leaders, and the skills developed as a result of the MBA programme will directly contribute to the success of these managers and their organisations in future.’
Cranfield School of Management and The Cranfield Trust welcome enquiries and applications for the 2010 scholarship awards. Eligible candidates for the scholarship must be working for a European voluntary organisation involved in issues of poverty, disability or social exclusion. Applications must be received by 31 October 2009 for programmes starting in January 2010.
Author: Claire Shropshall
Claire Shropshall is the editorial assistant for Charity Funding Report, Caritas, and Codicil magazines. Claire has a BA in English Literature and Philosophy from Birmingham University and a Postgraduate Certificate in Periodical Journalism from London College of Communication. She previously worked in Central America as a voluntary reporter for an English-language newspaper.
Click here for other articles written by Claire Shropshall
There are no comments on this article. Be the first to comment.