Today the Chagos Conservation Trust is pleased to announce the launch of a new bursary scheme to support those members of the Chagossian community who wish to pursue training in conservation skills.

This bursary scheme is intended to assist with the next stage of the Chagossian Community Environment project, run by the Zoological Society of London in association with CCT. This project seeks to connect Chagossians with their environmental heritage and build capacity amongst members of the Chagossian community in environmental knowledge and skills. The pilot year of this project has already produced 12 graduates from its eight-week Environment Training Course. For more information, take a look at the film made by the trainees about the course.

It is intended that those graduates of the training course who show particular interest/aptitude for a range or particular element of environmental management be offered further intensive skills training in their chosen field. Vocational scholarships would be hosted and mentored by one of the participating organisations.

Thanks to a grant facilitated by the Blue Marine Foundation, CCT is able to offer support of £2,000 per year, which may be awarded to a single applicant, a group application, or several applications for lesser amounts (up to a combined total of £2,000).

This bursary will complement three bursaries being made available by funding from the Darwin Initiative. Therefore, the total amount of funding available in 2013/14 to support training in conservation skills for Chagossian people is £8,000.

To read more about the bursaries and to apply, please download the application form. The deadline for applications is 28th February 2013. For more information please contact Rebecca Short (rebecca.short@zsl.org).