Hayley’s talent wins her uni masters award

Photo: -DARREN ROBINSON

SCHOLARSHIP joy for Hayley.

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A STUDENT whose writing talent was featured in the Oldham Chronicle when she was nine has won an English scholarship at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Hayley Charlesworth has received £2,800 towards the cost of her English studies masters degree which she starts on September 22. It is one of only 16 humanities scholarships handed out by the university this year.

The 26 year old from Waterhead featured in the Chronicle in 1998 after setting up a book club at St Anne’s Primary School, Greenacres, to raise money for the school. The keen writer also sold her stories to friends and teachers.

Hayley did A-levels at Oldham Sixth Form College, where she also worked as a learning support assistant after graduating with a first for her creative writing degree at Roehampton University.

She has been saving up to do a masters and while she would still like to be a writer, she is also aiming to do a PhD and become a university lecturer.

“I knew I had a chance of a scholarship, but I wasn’t pinning my hopes on it,” she said. “It means I can still pay my rent, so that’s good! I can relax a little bit now because I have been very cautious with money for the past few years.”




The poem that put Hayley in the spotlight


Hayley’s headteacher at St Anne’s was particularly impressed with this poem she wrote about bullying when she was nine.




Do you remember?


when I got kicked and beat,

And pushed and shoved and called dead meat.

Now I’m popular,

And you’re in my place,

and now I’m not picked on,

I finally feel my grace.



I could get my revenge,

That I had planned,

But because of my pain,

I’m offering you my hand.