NEWS & UPDATES
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Celebrating Growth, Opportunity & Connection
As we enter the festive season and bid farewell to 2023, we are thrilled to reflect on a year marked by substantial growth and progress for BASET. The last twelve months have seen us support more award winners than ever before, forge new partnerships, and launch our Endeavour Career Skills programme...
Launch of new Thoroughbred Award
9 June 2023
BASET has launched a new Endeavour Career Skills Award to support deserving young people entering the equine and racing industries. The first recipient, Grace McBeath from NSW will complete a six-month racing stable placement working for Sir Mark Prescott at Heath House Stables and Andrew Balding at Kingsclere Park House Stables. The award has been organised in partnership with Godolphin, the British Racing School and Thoroughbred Industry Careers in Australia.
Pioneer School Awards 2023
4 May 2023
BASET has selected five talented secondary school students to receive Pioneer School Awards. Students from Kingsdale Foundation School, Haileybury Turnford and Royal Hospital School will travel to Australia in July and study at Canberra Grammar and Haileybury Melbourne. On receiving the news one student said, “I’m so excited I was chosen, and can’t wait to meet other students and learn more about Australian history and culture. Thank you so much for this incredible opportunity.”
Launch of new Endeavour Career Skills Awards
26 January 2023
A new Endeavour Career Skills Award has been launched to fund a four-week placement for two Viticulture and Oenology students from Plumpton College. The students will work at Hungerford Hill in the Hunter Valley, widely considered the birthplace of Australian wine. Greg Dunn, Curriculum Manager for Plumpton Wine Division commented, “We are absolutely honoured to be partnering with BASET and giving two of our students the opportunity of a lifetime! They will be exposed to different ways of working, have the opportunity to innovate, and, importantly, bring this knowledge back to the UK wine industry.”
Endeavour Heritage Awards 2022
1 July 2022
We are delighted to announce that BASET has granted an Endeavour Heritage Award to Benjamin Colt from Australia. Benjamin will travel to the UK in September and undertake a Foundation Degree Arts in Musical Instruments, run by West Dean College in Chichester. West Dean College, internationally recognised for excellence in conservation, arts and design education, will match the Endeavour Heritage Award through The Edward James Foundation.
Sir Christopher Benson granted Honorary Order of Australia Medal
29 September 2021
Our President, Sir Christopher Benson receives the Honorary Order of Australia Medal originally awarded in February 2020 in recognition of his contribution to the bilateral relationship, including through his role at BASET, from the Australian High Commissioner George Brandis, with John May, Chair of BASET Trustees, in attendance.
BASET reception for Friends, Partners and Award winners
14 September 2021
The Lord Mayor William Russell and other BASET supporters, friends partners and Award winners were welcomed by George Brandis to his Stoke Lodge residence at a reception held on 14 September. BASET announced a new Endeavour Award with Plumpton College focussed on oenology, and presented Eleanor Smith with her Endeavour Award at West Dean College.
New BASET Endeavour Awards granted
24 May 2021
We delighted to announce that two new BASET Endeavour Awards have been granted: Samantha Levick, from Queensland, to study for an MA in Ceramics Conservation Studies and Eleanor Smith, from Canberra, for a Graduate Diploma in Book and Manuscript Conservation at West Dean College of Arts & Conservation near Chichester (shown here).
New BASET alumni network launched
27 April 2021
BASET has launched its ‘Helping Hands’ alumni network. Prospective Award winners will now be able to network with previous Award winners, like Kyra shown here, to seek guidance of the benefits of the programme and the best way to apply.
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‘This Initiative will eventually be extended to other members of the BASET family,’ said Leisha White, the BASET Trustee who has instigated the scheme that is designed to extend the depth and breadth of our programme.
Endeavour Award winners hired to conserve Australian heritage
12 February 2021
Katie Smith, shown here working on the marble sculpture in the Ballarat Botanic Gardens, Victoria, graduated top of her class in her Conservation Studies degree at the City & Guilds London School of Art. She is now living her dream of working to conserve Australia’s built heritage. Katie is working at International Conservation Services, one of Australia’s leading conservation groups.
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Amy Walsh was also a BASET Endeavour Award winner, who studied for her ceramics conservation Masters degree at West Dean College. She has been practising as a conservator since her return to Sydney in 2019.
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New Co-Sponsor of Endeavour Award
5 Feburary 2020
Renowned West Dean College in Sussex and the City & Guilds of London Art School have each agreed to co-sponsor an Endeavour Award with BASET through fund matching. This will make the difference enabling more talented young Australians to pursue courses at these prestigious institutions.
We are launching some other exciting collaborations later this year. These include:
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an internship at Salisbury Cathedral for a young Australian stonemason (specialised stonemasonry is much in demand in Australia);
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reciprocal internships for young winemakers in Australia and the UK, in partnership with Wine GB.
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We are excited to announce our latest Endeavour Award winner is Sarah Shepherd from Dubbo, NSW. With BASET's support, Sarah is now able to complete her MA in Stained Glass Conservation, Restoration and Heritage Management at the University of York.
Sir Christopher Benson Awarded Order of Australia Medal
5 Feburary 2020
BASET was delighted to see our President, Sir Christopher Benson recognised in this year’s Australia Day's Honours List with an Honorary Order of Australia Medal in this in recognition of his contribution to the bilateral relationship, including through his role at BASET.
