Dan Ellwood

Announcing the recipients of the 2026 Unlocking Success Bursary 

 

We are delighted to announce the recipients of Northern Housing Consortium’s Unlocking Success Bursary. Each winner has received £500 to support their education, training or community ambitions, supporting social housing residents across the North to achieve their goals. 

Congratulations to all of this year’s winners, who we will be celebrating at this December’s Unlocking Success Bursary Lunch. For more information on joining us at the Bursary Lunch, please visit MyNHC. 

Livin 

  • Allan Todd: Selected to help him return to employment as a recovery driver, rebuilding his confidence and sense of purpose while making a positive difference to others. 
  • Billy Clifton: Supported to establish an affordable community shop offering good-quality second-hand goods, helping local people on low incomes while reducing waste. 
  • Ahmad Mohmd Dib Elhasan: Awarded funding for the licences needed to become a taxi driver, helping him achieve financial independence and support his family. 

Believe 

  • Domingo Ibanez Navarro: Supported with a high-performance laptop and learning materials for his BSc in Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics. 

Connect 

  • Lexi Thompson Brighty: Selected to pursue her ambition of becoming airline cabin crew, with funding towards her Level 2 Diploma, safety training and passport. 

Gentoo 

  • Emma Naisby: Awarded funding for a Level 3 dog walking and boarding qualification, supporting both her business ambitions and personal wellbeing. 

Halton Housing 

  • Laura Mason: Supported to train as a Reiki practitioner and integrate the practice into her counselling work, helping clients with their wellbeing and healing. 

Kingston upon Hull City Council 

  • Craig Smith: Selected for his commitment to fellow residents. He will provide shared digital equipment in his supported housing complex and renew food-hygiene qualifications to help run community events. 

Karbon 

  • Jolene Metcalf: Supported to complete a Higher Level Teaching Assistant course and develop her career helping children with special educational needs. 
  • Jemma Marie Smith: Awarded funding for a Level 3 Certificate in Property Agency, enabling her to build on her accounting qualification and pursue a career in property. 

Leeds City Council 

  • Lydia Hirst: Selected to undertake specialist bridal and prom hairstyling training, helping her develop her talents after overcoming significant challenges in mainstream education. 

Newcastle City Council 

  • Ava Phillipa Mallloy: Supported with an iPad for her criminology, psychology and law studies, reducing the impact of hypermobility and fibromyalgia on her ability to take notes. 
  • Gamilah Faraj: Awarded funding for a sewing machine and course, with plans to earn an income and teach sewing to women with limited English. 
  • Omid Noorzai: Supported to study AI programming and purchase a laptop, strengthening his employability and helping him work towards establishing his own consultancy after rebuilding his life in Newcastle. 

Places for People 

  • Paul Daley: Selected to retrain as a gym instructor, gaining the qualifications now required to return to a career he loves and help others achieve their goals. 

St Leger 

  • Beth Quinton: Supported to complete a Level 3 Forest School qualification and help children with additional needs build confidence through nature. 

Sheffield City Council 

  • Victoria Ashton: Awarded funding for a laptop and travel costs while completing a Level 2 Teaching Assistant course focused on supporting children with autism. 
  • Alexander Shreeve: Supported to obtain a higher-level HGV licence, opening access to better-paid employment and greater financial stability. 
  • Lyndsey Fronczyk: Selected to support her paramedic training, including a laptop for home study, as she works towards providing high-quality care in her community. 
  • Florentina Luca: Awarded funding for a laptop to complete the English and science qualifications required for nursing, easing financial pressures as a single parent. 
  • Lisa McCann: Supported to undertake a floristry course and pursue her ambition of opening a shop specialising in funeral arrangements. 
  • Luwam Gebreab: Awarded funding for a laptop to complete online coursework and research for a nursing degree. 
  • Maria Pearson-Sacker: Supported with a laptop and books for university-access studies in maths and English, with the goal of progressing to a nursing degree. 
  • Deryn Jade West: Selected for support with university fees and materials while completing a bachelor’s degree in Mental Health Nursing. 
  • Wahada Majid: Awarded funding towards registration fees for psychotherapy training, enabling continued support for people experiencing grief, trauma, anxiety and depression. 
  • Gertrude Omaboe: Supported with travel, learning materials and childcare while studying for an MSc in Occupational Therapy. 
  • Abdul Rahman Mohammed Fadil Ahmed: Awarded funding for a laptop, books and equipment for an Open University Diploma of Higher Education, building on his previous experience as a primary-school teacher. 
  • Lauren Kerry: Supported with a laptop and living costs while training as an adult nurse and completing placements, alongside caring for her child. 
  • Samantha Jacques: Awarded funding for a laptop and course fees while completing a Level 2 Teaching Assistant qualification. 
  • Omobowale Ogunrinola: Supported with a laptop, learning materials and childcare costs while studying to become a social worker. 
  • Rachel Susan Stringer: Awarded funding for a laptop and End of Life Care course fees, helping her pursue a career supporting people in the care sector. 
  • Leanne Lawson: Supported with the cost of an Access to Higher Education course in Social Work, easing financial pressure while she cares for her two children. 
  • Rikki James Latham: Selected to restart construction training through night classes, with support for travel and tools as he works towards becoming a bricklayer.