A BURSARY to help young creatives has been set up in memory of Dawn Sturgess, the woman who died after coming into contact with Novichok.

Dawn died in 2018 after her exposure to the nerve agent, which had been used in an attempt to poison former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia four months earlier.

Now, Dawn's parents, Wiltshire Creative, and Dance Ledge Productions, creators of drama The Salisbury Poisonings, have come together to make the bursary scheme a reality.

The bursary will provide funding of up to £30,000 towards one lucky student's living costs while studying.

“We want to help young people achieve their hopes and dreams. Dawn always said to her kids to dream big," said Dawn's father Stan, who approached Dancing Ledge with the bursary plans after The Salisbury Poisonings aired.

This series was Dancing Ledge’s first drama series based on first-hand accounts and interviews with people caught up in tragic events.

Stan said: "When Gracie [Dawn's daughter] and I visited the set of The Salisbury Poisonings and met the little girl [Sophia Alley] who played her, it was a really moving moment.

"You could see how hard Sophia and her family were working to achieve her acting dreams – young people need all the help they can get. And in a few years’ time it’ll be wonderful to see how Dawn’s bursary has allowed young people to achieve their dreams.”

"Honoured" to be involved with the bursary, Laurence Bowen, CEO of Dancing Ledge Productions and Chris Carey, managing director, said: “Nurturing emerging talent is at the core of what we do at Dancing Ledge and it is a huge honour to be able to launch this bursary alongside Wiltshire Creative in Dawn’s name.

"We are hugely grateful to Dawn’s family for working with us in order to champion talent from her home county and hope this helps the memory of her live on. ”

Applications for the bursary are open to permanent Wiltshire residents, aged between 18 and 25-years-old, with an accepted offer for a full-time acting course at a UK drama school.

Launching today, October 20, Louise Dancy, Wiltshire Creative's Take Part director, said the organisation is "delighted" to be involved with creating the bursary, enabling young people "to access high quality drama training".

"We are passionate about championing local talent, and equal access to opportunities which are sadly unattainable for so many," she said.

"The events surrounding the Novichok attack in 2018 are still very much present in the hearts and minds of those in Salisbury and across Wiltshire, so it's most fitting we are able to honour the memory of Dawn Sturgess in this way."

Applications for the bursary will open in March 2022.

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