Trust help for student"

GRAMMAR school boy Michael Roberts has been awarded this year's James A Johnson scholarship to help finance his university studies.

Michael, of Castle Avenue, Dover, has a place to read mathematics at Selwyn College, Cambridge, after gaining three grade As in his Mathspure maths, mechanics and physics A levels.

He also took STEP papers in maths to attain grade one in both STEP II and STEP III.

A keen sportsman, Michael is a member of the Invicta East Kent Athletics Club, and in 1999 he won the Kent County Schools Athletics Association 3,000 metres for senior boys.

The scholarship has a present value of £6,000, payable in equal annual instalments over the first three years of the winner's university career.

The scholarship was established by former Dover town clerk, James A Johnson, in 1984 when the total value was £3,000.

The trustees have been able to increase its value in recent years due to Mr Johnson's generous bequest and his expressed wish that the main income of the trust be devoted to the further education of deserving students from Dover.

This year 10 applications were received from students of Astor School and both the boys' and girls' grammar schools.

Such was the high standard of the applicants that a further £3,750 was distributed in varying amounts to help several of these students with the start-up costs they will face when going to university.