The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust is the charitable arm of The Royal Warrant Holders Association, devoted to the support of excellence in British craftsmanship.  Founded in 1990, the Trust annually awards scholarships which to date have totalled over £1.5 million, enabling 242 talented craft scholars to advance their specialist education and skills.  Despite this impressive history, QEST is struggling to keep pace with the flow of applications from gifted applicants.  It is unquestionably the leading charity in its field, but is forced to turn away a significant proportion of deserving candidates simply due to a shortage of adequate funds to meet the growth in demand.  QEST is working on an ambitious fundraising programme, culminating in the Diamond Jubilee Year of 2012. The target, in brief, is to double the current level of awards and also to introduce a mentoring programme to better enable scholars to meet their full potential.   www.qest.org.uk

Please give generously in aid of this worthwhile cause. We thank you in advance for your support.