New Cross Fire Bursaries

The New Cross Fire of 18 January 1981 was a suspected racially-motivated arson attack at a house party that led to the deaths of 14 young people.

Since 2006, the generous support of Lewisham Council has allowed us to offer this bursary in memory of the victims of the New Cross Fire. The bursary supports Lewisham residents who otherwise may not be able to attend university.

Bursary recipients will be invited to attend a reception with their fellow awardees and the families of the New Cross Fire victims. Recipients will also be asked to support the future promotion of the award. Further information will be provided to successful recipients.

Value

A £4,500 cash bursary, paid across 3 years of undergraduate study.

Number available

Up to five

Eligibility criteria

You must meet the general eligibility requirements and regulations. You must also:

• Have been a resident in the London Borough of Lewisham for three years prior to application
• Have a household income of under £35,000 per year (as evidenced by your application to the Student Loans Company)
• Be a UK citizen and eligible for Home fees
• Be undertaking your first undergraduate degree
• Have one of the following categories of ethnicity:
• African
• Caribbean
• Any other Black / African / Caribbean background
• Any other Mixed / Multiple ethnic background
• Indian
• Pakistani
• Bangladeshi
• Chinese
• Any other Asian background
• White and Black Caribbean
• White and Black African
• White and Asian
• Gypsy or Irish Traveller
• Arab

Application deadlines

Applications for 2025 will open in August, 2025.

How to apply

Applications are made using our online application form.

Selection process

Successful applicants will be selected on a competitive basis.

Initial shortlisting by eligibility criteria will be completed by our Scholarships Coordinator. All applicants who meet the eligibility criteria are then forwarded to the next selection stage.

Applications will then be considered by an awarding panel. All panel members understand that applicants will have a broad range of differing skills, attributes and experiences, so they will give equal consideration to both the applicant's academic record and their answers to the questions posed in the award application form. Panel members also understand that what is important is the content of the answers and their relevance to the questions, not the standard of the writing.

The panel will consist of representatives from Admissions, Widening Participation and Lewisham Council. The panel will assess the applications against the stated criteria.

Final award recipients and reserve candidates will be decided by the panel.

If you have any questions, please contact scholarships@gold.ac.uk

Please check our Scholarships and Bursaries Regulations page for more information.