Thriving under POOBI

Eighteen-year-old Zakia Fawcett has started a degree in composition at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland thanks to help from the Post Office Orphans Benevolent Institution (POOBI).

Zakia’s father, Zak Fawcett, has worked for Royal Mail for 18 years and currently works as a postman at St. Andrews delivery office on the east coast of Scotland.

He secured funding from POOBI - which provides bursaries for the families of colleagues who need financial support – to allow his daughter to pursue her dream of a career in music.

Zakia began playing the violin and viola when she was seven and developed a great love for composition.

‘I feel honoured to be funded by POOBI and I truly believe I would not be studying here without their financial support,’ she said. ‘Their bursary makes all the difference to my experience, it allows me to not only survive, but thrive.

‘By the end of my four-year course I want to be a well-rounded composer and sound artist and have a strong portfolio of work and commissions with a focus on blurring the boundaries between art forms.’

After her undergraduate degree, Zakia plans to continue with postgraduate study, preferably at a European conservatoire.