Scholarship will be named in honour of Leyland’s Manchester Arena attack terror victim Saffie Roussos
It’s a tribute to Saffie’s memory and the young woman she never had the chance to become.
A performing arts academy has launched a new scholarship in named in honour of Leyland terror victim Saffie Roussos.
Eight-year-old Saffie became the youngest victim of the Manchester Arena terror attack on 22 May 2017. She was one of 22 people who died when terrorist Salman Abedi, 22, detonated a bomb after an Ariana Grande concert
Now ‘Saffie’s Smile’, has been launched by the Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts to mark what would have been the youngsters’18th birthday on July 4.
The scholarship offers a deserving young person a full year's free training at one of PQA's academies in the UK.r the third year in a row Saffie’s parents, Lisa and Andrew Roussos, have teamed up with The Sun to honour their daughter’s legacy by celebrating an extraordinary young person who has gone above and beyond for others.
The year-long scholarship offers free training at one of PQA's academies in the UK to an extraordinary young person aged 16 or under who embodies Saffie's generous and vibrant spirit.
The winner will receive a year-long scholarship of weekly sessions across all aspects of the performing arts at one of PQA's more than 270 academies nationwide, covering Comedy & Drama, Musical Theatre, and Film & Television, as well as a £5,000 holiday voucher from On The Beach.
Charlie Quirke, son of Pauline Quirke, the founder of the Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts said, “It is incredibly moving to see Saffie’s memory celebrated in such a joyful and generous way. Now, in what would have been her 18th year, the Saffie’s Smile Awards feel more meaningful than ever. At PQA, we see every day how performing arts transform young people by building confidence and resilience, and allowing them to express themselves. These foundations, which my mum Pauline built the academies upon nationwide, remain at the heart of everything we do.
“We are proud to launch the Saffie’s Smiles Scholarship and to offer one very deserving winner a year’s training at one of our academies. Saffie’s family wants to celebrate young people who go above and beyond for others. We hope that through the performing arts, the winner of our scholarship will find a place where that spirit of kindness and generosity can thrive.”
Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts (PQA) is a family-owned nationwide performing arts academy for children aged 4-18. It offers training in comedy, drama, musical theatre, TV and filmmaking, focusing on nurturing individual talent and building self-belief. There are now more than 270 academies nationwide.
Nominations are open until June 17. The competition and full terms and conditions can be found at https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/39189837/saffie-roussos-smiles-scholarship/.