Journalism Diversity Fund awards first cohort of bursaries

Seven aspiring journalists have been awarded Journalism Diversity Fund bursaries to complete NCTJ-accredited training courses.
The bursary winners and their chosen NCTJ-accredited courses are:

Kristina Drake, Press Association London

Rehema Figueiredo, Press Association London

George Gigney, News Associates London

Norah Lindsay, MA Brunel University

Darius McQuaid, MA/PgDip Sheffield University

Keiran Southern, Press Association Newcastle

Mirela Vulaj, MA University of Kent

Interviews took place at talkSPORT on Friday, 25 April with a panel consisting of Joanne Butcher, chief executive, NCTJ; Hugh Muir, diary editor, The Guardian; Stuart Rowson, deputy editor, BBC Breakfast; and Laurie Tucker, day editor, Sky Sports News.

The interviewees were quizzed on their passion for journalism, financial need and diversity.

Bursaries are awarded four times a year to students planning to study an NCTJ-accredited course. They are awarded to students from socially or ethnically diverse backgrounds and can help them cover the cost of course fees and living expenses.

Applications for bursaries for the academic year 2014/15 are open. The deadline for cohort two bursary applications is Wednesday, 14 May at 5pm.