Marcia Bennett Male, the Peckham stone carver and lettercutter who gained an £8,800 Queen Elizabeth Scolarship to study stonemasonry at the Building Crafts College (see NSS December issue), has been presented with the Award by the Queen herself.

It was at the Royal Warrant Holders Association lunch in London on 20 March attended by the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh that the Queen made the presentation.

Marcia has her own workshop in Peckham, where most of her work is lettercutting commissions. But she wanted to increase her repertoire by attending a one year diploma course in advanced stonemasonry at the Building Crafts College in London.

Queen Elizabeth Scholarships are designed to advance education in modern and traditional crafts and trades in the UK and are open to men and women of all ages (Marcia is 36). They are awarded twice a year and Marcia was one of six people to gain a scholarship in the latest round.

If you want to find out about the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust and how to apply for a scholarship, visit the trust website: