Rotherham Sitwell Rotary supports tomorrow’s nurses

Two aspiring nurses from Rotherham have received a welcome boost for their university studies, thanks to the Rotherham Sitwell Rotary Bursary for Nursing.

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Rotherham Sitwell Rotary has awarded £500 each year to one student from Thomas Rotherham College and one from Rotherham College who are progressing to study nursing at a local university.

This year’s recipients are:

• Izabela Nawara (Thomas Rotherham College), now studying Adult Nursing at Sheffield Hallam University

• Ferzana Aurangzeb (Rotherham College), now studying Adult Nursing at the University of Sheffield

Izabela’s teachers praised her exceptional Distinction-level achievements and her dedication during work placements. Ferzana’s tutor, Gina Burgess, described her as “outstanding in commitment, resilience, and academic excellence.”

The Bursary was initiated by Dr Gurnam Basran, a former Consultant at Rotherham District General Hospital. Reflecting on his NHS career, he said:

“As a family & community, we owe so much to our NHS. As for me, it gave me "the best job in the world". This lasted for some four decades with each day being full of challenges, rewards, and joy whilst trying to help others with clinical needs.

Seeing the NHS teams working through the challenging Covid era gave us an idea on how we could say thank you back to the NHS. This was to kickstart a scheme to offer university students who had chosen to pursue a career in nursing in our area. This resulted in the Rotherham Sitwell Rotary Bursary Award Scheme. Our one wish is that this scheme will continue to be fruitful and valued and hopefully flourish”.

Both students were surprised and delighted to receive the award, which will help with specialist equipment and travel costs.

The Bursary is more than financial support — it’s a vote of confidence by Rotherham Sitwell Rotary in the next generation of nurses from Rotherham, ready to make a difference in a changing world of healthcare.