Education fund for Global Majority nurses and midwives launched

The RCN Foundation Olufunke Adeyeye Education Grant has been made possible thanks to the generosity of the family of Olufunke Adeyeye, a life-long nurse and midwife, who died in 2020.

Her three adult children Oluwakemi, Olubusola and Ibukunoluwa decided to celebrate her life and career by establishing a grant to support nursing staff facing similar challenges to the ones their mother did whilst she was alive.

Their donation of £20,000 established the RCN Foundation Olufunke Adeyeye education grant which is a fund dedicated to providing further education and training opportunities to nursing and midwifery staff from the Global Majority.

A nurse’s story

Olufunke had a career spanning over 50 years in all areas of nursing including ophthalmology, midwifery, general and community nursing.

               

Her family said "she was a single parent who believed that anyone fortunate enough to have a good education and career can dare to aspire and over-achieve, despite life’s challenges." She particularly considered it a blessing that nursing enabled her, and her children, to achieve their aspirations.

Olufunke made many lifelong friends through her profession, and many testify to how she was a good friend, colleague, and mentor to other nurses and healthcare assistants.

Her children describe her career as "a shining example of the support and dedication that nurses demonstrate everyday, not just to their patients, but also to each other. In her character she was a true nurse – she would never ignore an opportunity to care for and support anyone in need."

Her children have established this fund in her memory, to give nurses from the Global Majority increased opportunities to develop and advance their careers and, in turn, have a positive impact on patient care.

Deepa Korea, Director of the RCN Foundation, said: "We are most grateful to the Adeyeye family for their generous support in establishing the RCN Foundation Olufunke Adeyeye education grant. We are so very pleased to be able to help them honour the memory of Olufunke in this way. This grant will be a legacy to her commitment and dedication to nursing and midwifery, providing opportunities for staff to develop their skills and, in so doing, improve the care they deliver to their patients."