Penultimate 2016/2017 cohort awards eight bursaries

Cohort 3 of the Journalism Diversity Fund has now concluded with the awarding of eight bursaries for the 2016/2017 academic year. These budding journalists were awarded funding to begin their journalism training at NCTJ-accredited courses beginning this September.
Bursaries were awarded to:

• Emma Bowden, University of Sheffield
• Katherine Giddins, News Associates Manchester
• Lilian Maingi, News Associates London
• Sophie Morris, Press Association London
• Charlotte O’Neill, University of Sunderland
• Daldeep Poonia, St Mary’s University, Twickenham
• Charlane Robinson, News Associates London
• Raphael Wilson, UCFB Wembley

The interviews were kindly hosted by Thomson Reuters on Friday, 12 August. The morning interviewing panel consisted of Joanne Butcher, chief executive, NCTJ and Jonathan Grun, emeritus editor, Press Association.

The afternoon interviewing panel consisted of Cheryl Varley, producer and social mobility executive, BBC; Ian Cobain, senior reporter, The Guardian and Susie Boniface, freelance journalist and columnist, Daily Mirror.

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.

This was the third round of bursaries granted for the academic year between September 2016 and August 2017.

Applications for the final cohort are currently being accepted until Wednesday, 16 November. The full schedule and application form can be found here.