Sparks Rising
Helping remove barriers to qualifications
In 2025, our community lost a truly remarkable individual who meant so very much to all of us. Kieran lived his life with a warmth, passion, and spirit that brought people together, and his absence is deeply felt. To honour his extraordinary life and ensure his values continue to inspire others, we have established this dedicated fund in his loving memory.
No one knew Kieran’s heart better than his family. Below, his mum, Zara, shares the story behind the fund, what it stands for, and how his legacy will continue to shape our community for years to come.
The Sparks Rising Fund
Kieran loved learning new things. He wasn’t a huge fan of traditional academia, but he was endlessly curious. If something caught his interest, he would research it until he knew far more about it than most people ever needed to know!
He had an amazing library of random and fascinating facts stored in his head, often producing information completely out of nowhere that would leave us raising our eyebrows in surprise.
That curiosity was part of his spark for life.
His spark showed itself in so many different ways – from wandering the web in search of random facts about the universe, to tinkering with DIY projects, working on his beloved Kawasaki Z125, heading to the beach with friends to paddleboard or have a BBQ, gaming with his Dad and brother, or designing amazing characters and scenes on his computer.
He loved climbing, playing D&D and spending time with his friends and his people. And he moved through life with his own wonderfully quirky gait, often compared to Captain Jack Sparrow!
But perhaps most importantly, Kieran’s spark grew as he grew into himself. He became increasingly confident in his beliefs and was honest and direct, but never with malice. He was fiercely proud of who he was, and incredibly loyal to his friends and family.
The Sparks Rising Fund is about helping other young people find, protect and grow their own spark - whatever that spark looks like.
What is the aim of the fund?
We would like Kieran’s memory to help drive support for children and young people whose spark may not always shine brightly within a traditional learning environment.
Kieran was a huge advocate for being yourself, having fun, finding your people and spending time with those who understood and accepted you. He made a traditional educational setting work for him, because ultimately there was no choice, but it was a struggle at times.
A lot of that work came from Kieran himself. He had to learn to self-manage, to negotiate his way through situations and to find ways of making things work for him.
As his mum, I often told him that the world wasn't going to change just because it didn’t always fit him – that he had to find a way to make it work for him.
And he did.
What is the Sparks Rising Fund?
Each year CB Tutoring & Exams will give free tuition to local young people to support them achieving whatever qualifications they need to reach their full potential.
For 2026-27, we will be looking to provide 6 hours of tuition 1:1 to 6 different young people in a subject they would like support with.
Who can apply?
Applications are open to young people who:
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Must live in Cornwall
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Bursaries are for Maths and/or English only
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Families receiving one or more of the following:
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Universal Credit
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Income Support or income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
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Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
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Child Tax Credit
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Working Tax Credit run-on
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Guaranteed Pension Credit
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Support under the Immigration/Asylum Act
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Applications may also be considered in cases of financial hardship not listed above
How do I apply?
Complete the application form and submit with any accompanying evidence by the deadline below:
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Autumn 2 application form to be received by 19th October. Applicants to be informed by 26th October.
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Spring 1 application form to be received by 14th December. Applicants to be informed by 21st December.
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Spring 2 application form to be received by 8th February. Applicants to be informed by 15th February.
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Summer 1 application form to be received by 22nd March. Applicants to be informed by 29th March.
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Summer 2 application form to be received by 17th May. Applicants to be informed by 24th May.
Important information:
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A limited number of tuition sessions are available each year
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If successful, the full cost of the allocated sessions will be covered
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All applications will be reviewed, but final decisions are made by the board
