Furniture design student givenequipment grant

A NORTHIAM student has received a grant from The National Association of Decorative and Fine Arts Societies to pay for much-needed equipment for her work. Harriett McGill, 21, is studying BA (Hons) Furniture: Conservation, Restoration & Decorative Arts at Buckinghamshire New University, in High Wycombe.

She has received a £250 grant from the South Mercia branch of NADFAS towards paying for equipment to re-gild a 19th century picture frame for one of her final year projects.

Harriett, who attended Bodiam Manor School, said the money would pay for a gilders cushion, gild leaf and burnishers. She said: “This is helping me pursue my ambitions. I would not be able to pay for this without the award and it will help me produce a much higher standard of work.”

Diana Hadaway, chair of the South Mercia branch, vice-chair Gill Stevens and Gill Hitchenor, organiser, visited Bucks New University to present the award to Harriett.

Gill Hitchenor said Harriett was ‘very deserving’ of the award, adding: “The award is given to students displaying excellence and we do it to help foster the development of skills that otherwise may be dying out.”

Harriett’s course leader, Paul Tear MBE, said the awards were ‘hugely appreciated’.