About us

Our mission

We provide financial support to British African Caribbean (BAC) heritage students who are highly engaged and motivated to succeed, who are also able to demonstrate a commitment to give back through our Alumni programme once they are in a position to do so. Successful applicants to WEST will receive a scholarship grant of up to £1,000 per academic year depending on university costs and available funding. Each year we aim to support up to 50 high potential BAC heritage students.

Our Founders

Cislyn and Randal
Wilkes

Cislyn was the inspirational spiritual leader of WEST who, along with her husband Randal Wilkes, was the driving force behind the charity being established.

The charity continues their commitment over many decades of supporting disadvantaged people, particularly from the Black African Caribbean community.

In Memory of
Sheron Wilkes

It is with pride and deep gratitude that we acknowledge the generous legacy of Sheron, whose passion and commitment to education continue to inspire and support British African Caribbean students through the Wilkes Education Scholarship Trust. Sheron believed strongly in the enduring power of education to transform lives, and in her memory, she left a lasting gift to help others achieve their academic dreams. The scholarship awards made in her name are a tribute to her generosity of giving and her dedication to empowering future generations of British African Caribbean students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. We are proud to carry forward her passion for learning and her unwavering support for those pursuing their educational goals.

Our Board and Patrons

Earle Anthony Wilkes:
Executive Chair &
Trustee

Earle is a former council member, regulator and Secretary of State appointment with the General Teaching Council, Institute for Learning and the Learning and Skills Council, and also sat on the Advertising Standards Authority Council (ASA). Earle is an adviser on several international Change and Human Resources organisations and is managing director of two equity, diversity and inclusion organisations.

Melissa Barr:
Company Secretary & Trustee

Melissa is a qualified linguist who speaks several languages and has worked for the international commercial and third sectors in senior people management roles. Melissa recently completed a specialist postgraduate teacher training course at university. 

Patrons

Dr Charles Willie

Suzanne Duval, BEM

Charles is a former Chief Executive Officer of Diverse Excellence Cymru Limited, business leader and Adviser to the National Assembly for Wales and is currently a Special Adviser to the BME Mental Health Accreditation Programme in Wales. Charles has been a lifelong champion, mentor and EDI advocate and is a passionate supporter of BME education programmes.

Suzanne is the Black Minority Ethnic (BME) Mental Health Manager at Diverse Cymru, a unique pan-Wales charity committed to supporting people dealing with inequality and discrimination. Suzanne was awarded the British Empire Medal in the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours List, for her outstanding contribution to BME mental health in Wales.

Dr Patti Boulaye, OBE

Dr Doirean Wilson, BEM

Patti is a West End actress, author, inspirational public speaker and is a Visiting Teaching Fellow at Middlesex University. Patti has spoken at The Conference of World Scientists, the Royal Society of Art, Women’s Federation for World Peace, and the House of Lords, for example. Patti is also a Patron of Eastside Educational Trust and Governor of BADA.

Dr Doirean Wilson, a Diversity expert, is Associate Professor in Sustainability Management at UEL (University of East London). Doirean was awarded the British Empire Medal in the 2025 King’s New Year Honours List for her services to Equality and Diversity in Education. She is a UN Global Peace Council award-winner 2024. She is ranked ‘13th Most Influential HR Thinker 2023’. She is UK Country Chair of the Higher Education & Industry Connect Wing of Club G100, the eminent global group of top 100 powerful women, including Heads of State. Doirean received a King's Award ‘for Excellence 2024’ recognising her as a ‘Top Women Influencer’ worldwide, and was also recognised as one of London Borough of Barnet's ‘Inspirational’ Women (2023). 

Privacy & Cookies

What information we may store

  • is committed to protecting your privacy when using this website. This statement explains how http://www.wilkestrust.org, which is managed by WEST - Wilkes Education Scholarship Trust, uses any information you give to us and the ways in which we protect your privacy. We ask you to read it carefully. We may be required to change it from time to time so we also ask you to check it occasionally to make sure you are aware of the latest version.

  • The WEST - Wilkes Education Scholarship Trust policy allows any user that has sent information via a contact form or email directly to us full control over what happens to the stored information. You can request to have details removed from our database or email accounts at anytime. You can achieve this by sending a email to the following address, stating that you request us to delete all references of data on our systems that are pertaining to yourself: supportus@wilkestrust.org.

  • We collect the personal data that you volunteer on forms which you submit to us (including but not limited to donations, registration, feedback, survey, and contact forms) and in e-mails which you send to us.

    The personal data we collect will in some instances be specifically used to respond to an enquiry raised by yourself, and, in other instances (as described above), used to allow us to develop our site in a way that will enhance the online experience of the greatest number of users.

    We may also, from time to time, ask you for, or enable you to provide, additional information so that we can improve our service to you or make your visits to our site more rewarding. There will be no obligation on you to provide this information.

  • We do not sell, trade or rent your information to other parties.

    Your personal information will be used only for the purposes of communicating with you in relation to our services, for assessment and analysis to enable us to review, develop and improve the services we offer, or for any other purposes to which you have given your consent.

  • Any information obtained via this website will be electronically held by WEST - Wilkes Education Scholarship Trust. We take the normal precautions of backing up all data so that any loss may be restored with the least possible delay.

  • You can access our website without disclosing any of your personal data. We maintain log files that allow us to record visitors' use of the site. We analyse log file information from all our visitors, which we use to make changes to the layout of the site and to the information in it, based on the way that visitors move around it. Log files do not contain any personal information and they are not used to identify any individual patterns of use of the site.

  • Cookies are pieces of data that are often created when you visit a website and are stored in the cookie directory of your computer, either temporarily or permanently. The WEST - Wilkes Education Scholarship Trust website uses cookies only to measure how you interact with our site; this does not include any personal information and remains anonymous.

  • We do not disclose your personal data to any third parties without your permission, except insofar as you have consented to such disclosure or we are required to do so by law for information such as a court order, witness summons, or complaint from governmental authorities.

  • The WEST - Wilkes Education Scholarship Trust website contains links to other websites. This privacy statement applies only to our website, so you should always be aware when you are moving to another site and read the privacy statement of that site which collects personal information. We do not pass on any personal information you have given us to any other website.

  • If you have any questions or concerns about our privacy statement and practices, please contact us at WEST - Wilkes Education Scholarship Trust.