Ørsted Cash for College Students

Grimsby Institute of Further & Higher Education has received a share of £20,000 to help students facing financial hardship.

The money has been donated by Ørsted, formally known as DONG energy, from their Skills Fund allocation, which will help students struggling to pay for travel to and from the Grimsby Institute’s campuses in Grimsby, Immingham and Skegness.

Over the next 10 months the Institute will distribute £5,000 from the Ørsted Hardship Fund to support over 40 students. Sixteen learners will receive support towards travel at £250 per year, and 25 students will benefit from out of term time support with travel and meals at £40 per week. This will include apprentices, who are not currently eligible for government bursaries, but may struggle to afford travel on their Apprenticeship wage.

The money has been made available as part of the East Coast Community Benefit Fund in support of communities within the coastal areas of its Hornsea and Race Bank Offshore Wind Farms. This follow’s Ørsted’s recent commitment to develop a multi-million pound investment in Grimsby to create the UK’s largest offshore wind operations and maintenance hub.

Debra Gray, Grimsby Institute’s Deputy Chief Executive said: “The area that the Institute serves is one of the most disadvantaged in the UK. Some colleges use deprivation as a reason for failure, but it’s our reason to succeed. Those students need more support because they don’t have the start that others may have had. There are a range of learners who fall outside of the bursary support currently available, including those from rurally deprived or isolated areas and access to public services is difficult.

We are delighted to accept this award from Ørsted which will enable us to do more to support learners who, for example, have work placements

outside term time or need to attend vital functional skills maths and English or GCSE sessions. Travel should not be a barrier to an outstanding education.”

Rob Howes, Learning and Development Specialist at Ørsted said:  “We’re expanding our operations in the Grimsby area and as part of that we’re investing in the future workforce by developing local skills and creating employment opportunities. Earlier this year we announced our new apprenticeship scheme, in partnership with Grimsby Institute, and we are delighted that this skills funding will bring further benefit to the college.   

“Investing in skills is only a part of how we contribute to the communities we operate in; over the next two decades we’ve committed to over £9 million of community investment and environmental projects across the East Coast.”

If you would like to find out more about the Ørsted Cash for College Students and eligibility for these awards, please email [email protected]