Noah Staley-Mathews, armour making

Noah Staley-Mathews, from Nottinghamshire, is a 15-year-old home-educated maker with a deep passion for historical weapons and armour, having produced several helmets, shields and swords for buhurt combat. He was awarded a training bursary in 2026 to fund 38 weeks of bi-weekly one-to-one masterclasses with professional armourer Matthew Finchen of Lancaster Armoury, alongside specialist workshop equipment. Noah’s bursary was funded by Malcolm and Rosalind Gammie.