Monte San Martino Trust

Since I took over as Chair of Trustees, I have been able to see at first-hand how the lives of young people can be transformed by the work of the Trust. I see in our students a powerful echo of my own experience as a student of Italian who, at the age of 20, was lucky enough to win a bursary to study in Erice, a beautiful hill-top town in Western Sicily. There I learnt a lot about the Italian language, Italian culture and people, and a great deal about myself. For me that visit to Italy was a defining moment in my life. I look back on it as the experience which set me on my path.

When Keith Kilby established the Monte San Martino Trust in 1989, he wanted to express his profound gratitude to the people of Italy for the help they had generously and courageously given him, and other Allied prisoners of war. Keith had a clear and simple idea: offer educational bursaries to young Italians to allow them to study English in the U.K. Keith’s vision has been at the core of the Trust’s activities ever since.

Since 1989 the Trust has awarded over 800 bursaries to young Italian students. We offer around 40 grants a year which cover four weeks of tuition in one of our affiliated language schools (in Oxford and Wimbledon).

Each course costs £2650. Not only have they had the opportunity to improve their English, but our award holders have also had a unique opportunity to encounter British culture in all its fascinating (and sometimes eccentric) aspects.

The number of applications we receive for bursaries has increased significantly over the last few years, and we have had to turn down far too many excellent applicants. I have often thought about how Keith would react to this disappointing news and imagine him telling the Trustees senza mezzi termini (a phrase I learnt in Erice) that the time has come to do something!

The Trust is now seeking your help so that we can offer more bursaries in the years to come. Our initial target is to raise sufficient funds for 30 new bursaries: 10 bursaries a year for three years. Your donation has the potential to help a young Italian to enjoy a unique and transformative experience.

Thank you!