Over the past 18 months, the trust has provided financial support to a diverse group of young people, with an eclectic range of ambitions and funding needs. Here are some of them:

Charlotte Klinting (24)

A  KSMT grant helped Charlotte (pictured above) travel to Ghana last summer to research the impact of certification schemes on cocoa farmers, such as Fair Trade and the Rainforest Alliance. The research informed Charlotte’s BA thesis in Law and Development Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) in London, examining the sustainability of the cocoa industry in Ghana. Charlotte has a long-standing passion for chocolate, having worked in the industry in one way or another since she was 14 years old.

Brandon Brown (18)

Brandon was offered a place at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston USA, at the age of 16, making him one of its youngest ever recipients. The KSMT grant covered travel costs for Brandon, who is from Hamilton, near Glasgow. According to Brandon, the second semester as a guitar student has been ‘really amazing’ with the opportunity to play with incredible people. Brandon also took to the stage at the historic ‘Rock Guitar Night’, which has been going on for about 30 years at Berklee, a spot usually reserved for upper semester students.

Emma & Katie Reid (25)

In August 2014, Emma and Katie staged their May Meet In Mutual art exhibition and events series in Dundee’s Baxter Park. They collaborated with numerous emerging artists from around Scotland to investigate site-responsive art practice. The experience, partly funded by KSMT, was ‘invaluable’ for Emma and Katie as the project developed their professional skills and confidence in curating and facilitating public art programmes. They are already looking forward to developing their next collaborative project.

Natalie Ulman (25)

A KSMT grant enabled Natalie, a recent St Andrews University graduate and aspiring film critic, to travel to some of the world’s greatest film festivals as a journalist and reviewer. In August 2014 she went to the Locarno Film Festival, known for its daring and innovative selection of films and on to the Venice Film Festival, known for its world premieres. A Venice highlight included attending an official press conference with Al Pacino. She covered the film festivals for The Saint and The Tribe – two Scottish publications.

Gideon Omondi (25)

Gideon, a graduate from Nairobi, Kenya, participated in an internship with the Great Lakes Research Associates, which KSMT helped fund. Through this internship Gideon gained invaluable work experience to enable him to gain the knowledge and skills to begin a career in social research. Gideon grew up in Kangemi slum in Nairobi before attending the city’s university.

Matthew Footit (19)

KSMT helped Matthew, a budding young canoeist, to purchase a new racing slalom canoe, leading to improved results. He has been able to train in the new canoe regularly at the National Water Sports Centre near Nottingham Trent University, which he attends. He also has plans regular trips to the Olympic White Water Course in London. At the end of the 2014 season he finished 23rd in the UK and is aiming for at least a top 15 finish and a possible place on the GB under-23 team this year.

Natalie Holroyd (21)

A KSMT grant helped Natalie, a biochemistry undergraduate at Cambridge University, to travel to Singapore and New Zealand to complete work experience at highly respected biological research labs – Nanyang Technological University and Auckland Bioengineering Institute. In Singapore, she joined a project to map the expression of a gene that is linked to autism and schizophrenia. In NZ, she joined a project which is developing devices to help scientists better understand how lungs work, and in turn help deal with cystic fibrosis and asthma. When not in the lab, she managed to explore Tiomen Island and trek active volcanoes.

Ross Comrie (20)

In August 2014, Ross climbed Mt Kilimanjaro in aid of the charity Childreach International, with the help of a grant from KSMT.  Mt Kilimanjaro is the tallest free standing mountain in Africa, and the six day trek was followed by a chance to see the work the charity does in Tanzania by visiting a local school. Childreach International provide new facilities for the school and also help the staff and pupils become self sufficient through projects such as School Farming, developing farmland for the school and producing crops to feed the children.

Eilidh McLeod (22)

Eilidh, a recent IR graduate, undertook a three month unpaid internship at The Clinton Foundation in New York last summer. KSMT provided her with a grant to cover living costs and travel. During her time at the acclaimed NGO, Eilidh worked on two research projects on Ebola and energy poverty. She also organized discussion sessions during the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting, a major event attended by celebrities, global businesses and world leaders, including President Barack Obama. As the only Scot in a group of 80 interns, it was a once-in-the-lifetime opportunity to intern at The Clinton Foundation, offering a springboard to explore the City and its many sights.

Laura Sharpe (20)

Laura applied to KSMT in order to fund a series of shadow puppetry workshops at Weymouth Drama Club during the Easter holidays. The free one-day workshops were tailored to different age groups, from 7-18 years old, providing a new arts experience for a wide range of participants and abilities, focusing on the classic stories of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ and ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. Laura is currently studying Drama and English Literature at the University of Birmingham and is keen to pursue a career in education, within theatres.

Lucy Kendrew (21)

KSMT provided Lucy (above on the right) with a donation for the Edinburgh based cancer charity, It’s Good 2 Give, for whom she recently fundraised for by trekking 100km in the Arctic. Lucy is a Young Ambassador for the charity, which supports local children and young people with cancer, and their families. Despite her own admittance that she ‘hates’ the cold, she managed to camp in conditions of minus 30 degrees, and also hone her photography skills, to contribute further to her studies in this field.

Lydia Dewis (22)

In summer 2014, Lydia spent ten weeks working on a research project within the Hamilton group at the University of Oxford, led by Professor Andrew Hamilton, the university’s Vice Chancellor. The research undertaken by the group tackled the question of ‘if nature can do it why can’t we?’. Lydia’s work involved synthetically mimicking a fragment of a protein thought to be the cause of protein interactions. Lydia said: ‘If we can successfully investigate these interactions and understand how they can cause diseases then we can attempt to develop molecules that can disrupt these interactions, and ultimately help to prevent or cure a vast number of diseases, including cancer.’

Northumberland Clubs for Young People

Northumberland Clubs for Young People work with young people aged 11-25 in the areas of Newcastle, Tyneside and Northumberland. Following receipt of the KSMT grant, Jon Niblo, Chief Executive, said: ‘The award has provided us with additional resources to further develop our support services to our membership, particularly our Quality Mark work that enables our members to fully evidence their work and impact with young people. The grant award will also assist us to identify gap areas across our patch and develop new youth work provision that responds effectively to the needs and aspirations of young people.’