Healthy Investment has made 14 grants totalling £2,450 to help 14 of its younger members with the costs of higher education course materials during 2020. The grants were made from the Douglas Carr Memorial Scholarship Scheme, which was established in memory of a former chief executive of the historic financial institution.
Healthy Investment, which is headquartered in Bury, Greater Manchester, is a mutually owned provider of ISAs, Investment Bonds, Junior ISAs, Child Trust Funds and Savings Plans. It was established as a friendly society in 1835 and remains owned by its members.
The scholarship scheme, which distributes bursaries on an annual basis, is open to applications from members living anywhere in the country who are in full-time education.
Over the past five years 62 awards have been made by the Douglas Carr Memorial Scholarship Scheme, with a total value of £14,450. Many of the recipients began their journeys as members of Healthy Investment with Junior ISAs or Child Savings Plans managed by the society.
Peter Green, the current chief executive of Healthy Investment, said, “This has been a year like no other for students so I am pleased we have been able, in some small way, to help a number of our younger members with the costs associated with pursuing their studies. We are a mutual organisation owned by our members, and we are proud to be able to support them in ways that go beyond just managing their investments.
“It feels as though our values of mutuality and ethical investment are increasingly reflected in the public mood. This is particularly the case among younger people who, more than ever, need financial security but also want to feel they are valued and are making a positive difference to their communities and the wider world.”
Bursaries are awarded annually from an endowment established in memory Douglas Carr, a former chief executive of the society. Healthy Investment also actively supports its local community in Bury, and has this year made financial donations to the Radcliffe-based food bank, Porch Boxes, and to Bury Hospice.