The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) funds the education of talented craftspeople through traditional college courses, apprenticeships or one-on-one training with masters.
QEST was established to help support craftspeople of all ages and from all backgrounds, at a critical stage in their careers and thus sustain traditional British craftsmanship.
The charitable arm of the Royal Warrant Holders Association, QEST was established in 1990 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Association and the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. Since 1990 the Trust has awarded over £3 million to over 400 craftspeople aged between 17 and 58 for study, training and work experience.
QEST is honoured to welcome Her Majesty The Queen as Patron of QEST in her 90th birthday year, and looks forward to continuing to champion excellence in British craftsmanship as symbolised by the Royal Warrant of Appointment.
To be accepted as a scholar or apprentice of QEST is much more than receiving financial support for your training.
It means being welcomed into a unique family of craft, where the alumni of twenty-five years are as interested in the work that you have achieved as indeed the holders of Royal Warrants of Appointment.
If your application captures the attention of the QEST Trustees and Skills Advisors, you will be invited to attend an interview, where you will be given the opportunity to show samples of your work, highlight what you would like to achieve should you be given the opportunity of funding and generally display a passion for your chosen craft. Scholars will have already been practising and therefore be able to demonstrate a level of skill. Apprentices will need the advocacy of their proposed employer or master.
See ‘Supporting QEST’ for more information on how to support us.
Any donation, or any percentage of a residuary estate, makes a very real difference to QEST. We remain truly grateful to our loyal supporters and to the Royal Warrant holders who had the vision to establish QEST and have supported 354 inspirational artisans achieve their full potential.
