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Son of nurse who died with COVID-19 is among first to benefit from memorial bursary

Healthcare Workers’ Foundation distributes education grants to children of deceased NHS staff
Manalo family before the death of nurse and father Zaldy

Healthcare Workers’ Foundation memorial fund, set up by NHS staff, distributes first education grants to bereaved children whose healthcare worker parents died in the pandemic

Manalo family before the death of nurse and father Zaldy
The Manalo family: Rhyz is right, and his late father Zaldy is pictured left

The children of nurses and other healthcare staff who died with COVID-19 are receiving their first payments from a charitable scheme set up to support their higher education.

The Healthcare Workers’ Foundation (HWF) memorial fund is offering £5,000 a year to students who lost a healthcare worker parent in the pandemic. HWF was set up by NHS staff to support the welfare of colleagues during COVID-19 and beyond.

Staff nurse father died with COVID-19

Rhyz Manalo is among the first beneficiaries of the fund. His father Rizal Manalo, known as Zaldy, worked as a staff nurse at Glan Clwyd Hospital, Denbighshire, north Wales, from 2001 until his death from COVID-19 in May 2020.

Rhyz, who is 18, said the money would help him during his biomedical science degree, which he began at University College London in September. He is one of three people to have received the grants so far.

‘When you lose a parent at a young age, you lose more than just a loved one. We lose opportunity, connections, mentoring and security’

Dominic Pimenta, co-founder, HWF

‘It will alleviate some of the financial stress that university would put on me and remove some of the stress placed on my mum. She can focus more on herself and her own needs instead of putting me first,’ Rhyz said.

He added the grant application process was straightforward and he received the full £5,000 just before his course began.

Healthcare Workers’ Foundation grants

  • How can people apply for the grant?
    Via the HWF website where there are details about eligibility. Criteria including being 18 or over and being able to provide proof of deceased parent’s NHS employment
  • How is it received?
    The £5,000 is paid into the recipient’s bank account in one go
  • What happens if a student is part-time?
    They may be entitled to half the full amount – £2,500
  • What period is covered by the grant?
    The £5,000 is for one year of a course, so new applications may be necessary for each year of a programme
  • What else does the fund offer?
    Mentoring and internship opportunities are available and the charity will also offers career advice, tips on interview techniques and support with crafting a CV
  • Would younger children be able to apply for higher education grants once they turn 18?
    Yes, provided the charity still has funding available
  • Are mature students eligible for the grant if embarking on higher education for the first time?
    There is no age limit for the fund, but the charity reserves the right to test means for older offspring entering higher education

Access to opportunity

HWF co-founder and chair Dominic Pimenta said: ‘When you lose a parent at a young age, you lose more than just a loved one. We lose opportunity, connections, mentoring and security.

‘We can’t hope to fully replace that, but our ambition is to restore to the bereaved children of healthcare workers, as far as humanly possible, some of that access and security they have lost.’


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