Anita Chiverton, Postgraduate Diploma in Arbitration
Fees and Maintenance at the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
I have been successful with three funders, all of which have been set up to assist female students.
In 2013/14, I applied to the Hilda Martindale Trust for funding towards a Postgraduate Course in Arbitration. This body is restricted to women, and currently seeks to fund 'women that are training in underrepresented professions'. Apart from the usual personal details, such as course of study and financial status, the Trust wanted a statement on how and why, in the profession I was training for (Arbitration), women were underrepresented. This argument was relatively easy to make in my case, and I was able to point to the existence of specific organizations - such as Arbitral Women - which had been established to mitigate this underrepresentation. I subsequently received a grant from the Hilda Martindale Trust of £3000. I was extremely grateful, for without it, I would have been unable to take the course.
I also received a grant of £500 from the Soroptist International (Diamond Educational Fund). The aim of this not-for profit organization is to transform the lives of women and girls globally. Again, I had to try and make my application stand out., so I highlighted the underrepresentation of women in Arbitration, and argued that more women needed to be involved in this type of employment. Also, the Fund took into consideration my low income and enthusiasm, which was evidenced by work shadowing.
Finally, I also gained a £500 interest-free loan from Altrusa Careers Trust. Even though it was payable at just £20 per month, it was still a huge help. The Trust assists women, without access to financial support, to gain qualifications in order to gain an income to support themselves and their families. They recognise that gaps appear in people's budgets when they are in training towards their career goal. I had to identify the sacrifices I was making while studying for qualifications and demonstrate this in my evidence of income and outgoings. Again, apart from the usual official information, I had to produce references, and a statement of how my qualification would advance my career prospects. In my case, I pointed to the particular difficulties of getting into this profession, financial difficulties, and ill health- all of which had made things more challenging for me. The application also asked me to write about myself and my motivations, and I wrote about my volunteer work with two charities, and my part-time work through an Employment Agency.