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Bantams’ Pointon backs university scholarship for white males

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A football player dressed in kit on a pitch stood applauding

A homegrown Bradford City first-team player has called on white males from the district to chase their dreams by applying for a new scholarship at the University of Bradford.

The scholarship, supported by the Keith Howard Foundation, is designed to make it easier for under-represented groups to access higher education.

Bradford-born Bantams forward Bobby Pointon backed The Howard Opportunities Programme, which offers £400 per month towards living costs for working class white males from Bradford.

three people in science lab standing up wearing white coats

Bobby, 20, said: “It’s great the University of Bradford is able to offer this kind of financial support to an underrepresented group. It brings people in from different backgrounds. It can help them go and do big things.

“It’s a massive opportunity. I would urge people to apply and go and chase their dreams.”

To be eligible for the scholarship, which starts this September in time for the 2024-25 academic year, applicants should live in the Bradford district, identify as white, male and their parents or guardians must not have studied in higher education. 

A student tells a football player wearing a mask on an exercise bike about the equipment they are on

All of the University’s full-time undergraduate courses are eligible for the scholarship, which offers monthly grants up to £400 in year one, £440 in year two and £484 in year three. 

Bobby saw the University of Bradford’s facilities in February when he was part of a visit to the campus alongside team-mates Brad Halliday and Jamie Walker.

The Keith Howard Foundation, formerly known as the Emerald Foundation, set up by the late Dr Keith Howard OBE (1931-2021) in 2008, continues longstanding links between the late businessman and the university. The philanthropist, a graduate of the university’s of School of Management, and helped set up Emerald Publishing in 1967. 

Three football players wearing tracksuits stood up outside university entrance

Chris Hall, Associate Director for the Centre for Inclusion and Diversity at the university, said: “It is great that Bradford City’s Bobby Pointon is lending his support to the Howard Opportunities Programme.

"The University of Bradford strives to make a difference to the lives and prospects of its students, and this new programme is a prime example of that.

“The programme aims to provide an opportunity to a group that is underrepresented in higher education and we look forward to welcoming the first four male students to the university in September 2024.”

The university signed a four-year sponsorship deal with Bradford City in 2022. 

The deadline for applications for The Howard Opportunities Programme is Friday 31 May. Go to bradford.ac.uk/scholarships/the-howard-opportunities-programme-2024-25 to apply for the scholarship.