The University of Kent, the Kent Scouts, and the Kent Museum of Freemasonry in Canterbury are thrilled to announce the creation of the Dr Teddy Church Bursary Fund. This distinguished award honours Dr Church, a Freemason, devoted GP, and avid collector of Kentish history, genealogy, and heraldry. 

Dr Church dedicated his life to service, significantly improving the lives of countless patients as a GP. His true passion, however, was delving into Kent’s rich history. Through careful collecting, he built an impressive library on these subjects, which he generously bequeathed to the Kent Museum of Freemasonry.

Funding

The Bursary was inspired by Peter Hazlewood, a trustee, and Development Manager at the Kent Museum of Freemasonry. It is generously funded by the Provinces of East and West Kent and the Museum itself. 

The Bursary aims to support young people. In East Kent, it will assist students embarking on their academic journey at the University of Kent. In West Kent, it will help families purchase Scout uniforms and fund attendance at Scout camps.

University of Kent

The Dr Teddy Church Bursary will establish an annual history prize, continuing Dr Church’s spirit of giving. For the next five years, the prize will recognize outstanding academic achievement in history among first-year students at the University of Kent. The £500 prize will be divided, with £300 for the first prize and £200 for the second.

This Prize not only honours Dr Church’s legacy but also encourages future historians. The University of Kent deeply appreciates the Kent Museum of Freemasonry for establishing this award and believes the Dr Teddy Church Prize in History will inspire students for years to come.

The Scout Association

The Bursary will support the five Scout groups in West Kent, helping families afford Scout uniforms and enabling Scouts to attend camps that would otherwise be unaffordable. 

The Scouts have a long-standing relationship with the Freemasons of East and West Kent, who have many Scouting associated Lodges. 

In January 2022, a team of ten Scouts, eight from Kent and two from Scotland, sailed to the Antarctic Peninsula as part of the REQUEST2021 Antarctica Project, commemorating the 1921-1922 Shackleton-Rowett “Quest” Expedition. 

This adventure, proudly sponsored in part by the Freemasons of East and West Kent, made dreams come true for ten young people, highlighting the spirit of adventure and conservation of the project.

Peter Hazlewood officially signs the gift Agreement alongside Alan Noake MBE who is the Assistant County Commissioner for Global Projects for Kent.