TWO Teignbridge residents are among 14 people from the south west who have been awarded travelling fellowships to undertake projects around the world.

Rajni Patel, from Ashburton, and Dr George Julian, from Newton Abbot, have received the fellowships from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.

Relationship manager at Arts Council England, Rajni will be travelling to India and Japan to research traditional and contemporary craft practice.

Dr Julian, a freelance knowledge transfer consultant and special advisor to the Care Quality Commission, will be heading to Australia, Canada and New Zealand for her project looking into approaches to investigating the deaths of learning disabled patients.

The 14 grants in the south west total more than £100,000.

Since its inception in February 1965, more than 5,400 ordinary men and women have been awarded Churchill Fellowships, from over 100,000 applicants.

The ethos is for individuals to visit different parts of the world in pursuit of new and better ways of tackling a wide range of social, environmental, medical and scientific issues.

The new approaches and innovative ideas with which they return are shared to benefit their local and regional communities, and, in many cases, the nation.

Before his death in 1965, Sir Winston was adamant that he did not wish to have another statue as his memorial, so he approved the setting up of The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust as his national memorial and living legacy, for the benefit of future generations.

Julia Weston, chief executive of the trust, said: ‘Churchill Fellows are motivated and talented individuals who travel globally and return with innovative ideas and a commitment to share their findings to help others in the UK.’

Churchill Fellows come from all over the UK and from many different backgrounds.

They must be UK citizens aged 18 or over, but no qualifications are required.