Alfie Squires Bursary

Who is Alfie Squires?

Alfie Squires bursary flyer download
Alfie Squires was a larger-than-life and much-loved NATTKE and BETA activist, who died at a tragically early age in July 1990.

He worked tirelessly for the creation of Bectu through the amalgamation of ACTT and BETA, which was completed six months after his death.

Alfie was posthumously made the first Honorary Member of Bectu.

The Alfie Squires Bursary is now closed.

The Fund is not available to those categorised as Bectu Students.

What is the Alfie Squires Bursary?

In his memory the Bectu Sector Executive Committee of Prospect makes available each year the sum of £5,000 for bursaries towards trade union-related education for Bectu members, particularly those in difficult circumstances.

  • The maximum award per applicant is £1,000.
  • Awards are intended as a contribution towards books and other resources, and towards course fees if applicable
  • Applications accepted for trade union and vocational training*; a weighting will be applied where priority will be given for: 1st time users and applicants seeking funds to support trade union training; where funding sought for vocational training – member would be required to demonstrate/link to trade union work
  • Once funding had been awarded, members cannot apply for 5 years and only receive the award a maximum of 3 times
  • Note that successful candidates will be required to provide proof that they have successfully completed their course. If the course is not successfully completed, awarded monies may be clawed back by Bectu sector of Prospect
  • Awards are made at the discretion of the Training Committee and of the Bectu SEC
  • While priority will always be given to individual applications as (detailed in the application form), in years where there are funds remaining in the bursary, at the discretion of the Bectu Training Committee and of the Bectu SEC, that money may be spent on innovative trade union training initiatives which benefit members in the Bectu Sector. Such training will be clearly branded as “Supported by the Alfie Squires Bursary”
  • The Training Committee will consider applications twice a year.

What our members say

I’m incredibly grateful for the support of the Alfie Squires Bursary. Like many people working in the industry, I’ve built my career through freelance production work. Freelancing gives me flexibility around personal circumstances, but it can also mean uncertainty and less financial room to take on further training. Having this support has made a genuine difference.

I applied for the bursary to expand my training from film into TV and broaden the opportunities available to me within the industry. The training helped me understand the differences between the two sectors, identify gaps in my knowledge and build on the experience I already have. It has allowed me to develop practical skills, including further health and safety training, and better understand how I can apply my experience in a different production environment. It has been encouraging to see where my skills can take me and has given me greater confidence in making that transition.

Most importantly, the support has helped me continue developing and build towards a more sustainable career across film and TV.

Sophie Le – Alfies Squires Bursary – 30th August 2026

In this short clip, Bectu member Alex Mill tells her story of how she benefited from the Alfie Squires Bursary.