As we prepare to welcome in the New Year, we wanted to share some insights around how the charity is supporting the journalists of the future.
In Spring this year, we launched the first jobs fund, a unique new initiative aimed at providing financial support to new journalists struggling with work related costs.
The idea is to help remove some of the financial barriers which often prevent journalists from joining, or staying in the industry.
Here’s how it works, with real stories from real journalists…
Katie from Norfolk got a job in London but was struggling to make up a shortfall in accommodation costs…
Being from a single parent family (my mum works as a carer) means there just isn’t a lot of spare cash around. I worked throughout my time at uni but still have a £60k student loan as well as other debts. I was really worried I wouldn’t be able to move for my new job so this help is amazing and makes me feel so happy about becoming a journalist instead of worrying about whether I’ll be able to afford to stick at it. Thank you so much.
Lucas is a wheelchair user who needed help with specialist adapted accommodation…
This support literally means I am able to accept my dream job when I thought I might not be able to go for it. My employer has been really supportive but without this extra financial help I would have been totally stuck. I’ve always dreamed of being a journalist and now after all the hard work I’ve put in against the odds, it’s actually happening. Thank you.
Tahira got a staff job with a newspaper but was struggling to cover the cost of moving nearer to work…
I thought I’d be ok but everything is just so expensive. I saved as much as I could but there’s no way I could have moved without help from the charity towards my deposit. The support I’ve received is actually life changing, and means I can focus on being good at my job instead of worrying about whether I can afford to live normally. What you do means everything – thank you so much.
Thank you for your support in 2021 and all the very best for 2022!
The Journalists’ Charity