'I was on school meals but now have a scholarship at Cambridge'
A student from Bulwell plans to trek 118 kilometres to raise money to help others after receiving a Cambridge University Scholarship. Ciaron Tobin, 21, was one of just 22 people to receive the exclusive scholarship, which will fund his Master's Degree in American History at the institution.
Ciaron was raised by a single parent on a council estate in Eastwood, and attended St John Houghton in Ilkeston and then Bilborough College where he received free school meals. After completing his A-levels he went to study History at the University of Oxford and completed his degree earlier this year.
This October Ciaron will be starting his Master's degree in American History at The University of Cambridge, something that he expected he would need to raise almost £15,000 towards but instead was shocked to find out he had received a scholarship from the prestigious school. Ciaron said he was "surprised to say the least."
He added: "I found out after I had submitted myself to the fate of not receiving a Scholarship. With Postgraduate funding already desperately low I thought it impossible.
"Without the funding, I'd be very unlikely to accept the Master's if I could not raise money of around £15,000 in the Summer." Ciaron has received a full scholarship of £15,817 which covers all of his tuition fees and contributes towards his living costs.
Now he no longer needs to fundraise for his education, Ciaron has instead decided to raise money for the charity Shelter. He said: "This Summer, I originally was going to raise money by working and by any means to fund my Master's, but since this Scholarship, I thought rather than sit at home watching TV, I should set a goal of losing weight of around two stone and raise money for a charity that deserves it.
"I have never been the type of person to do long treks before but thought it would be best to challenge myself and go to the gym daily in preparation." He continued: "I chose Shelter since I have had close family members use Shelter when they would've been homeless without their help to find appropriate Council housing.
"Homelessness has been part of my family's story across generation, having been migrants from Ireland in the 60s and moving to Clifton eventually, and I hope to contribute to no one having to go through that potential experience again, especially single parents with adverse challenges."
Through a combination of hiking, walking and cycling, the student will travel 118km across Spain to raise money over five days. He will begin the challenge on Tuesday, October 1 in Orihuela, in the Valencian Community and end it in Caravaca de la Cruz.
Along the way he will pass through Beniel, the city of Murcia, Molina de Segura, Alguazas, Campos del Río, Albudeite, Mula, Bullas, and Cehegín. Shelter helps millions of people every year struggling with bad housing and homelessness through its advice, support and legal services, and with The Nottingham as a corporate partner, it means many people locally can benefit from Ciaron's fundraising.
After completing the challenge, Ciaron will be starting his Master's on Monday, October 7. When asked what it's like studying at such prestigious universities, he joked: "It's a completely different atmosphere to a state school in Nottingham."