The Guild is delighted to announce that the Joe Watson Legacy Fund will be inviting applications for the award of grants imminently.
Established in the memory of the late Joe Watson, a former Guild chairman and highly regarded Scottish agri-journalist, the purpose of the fund is twofold: to improve the understanding of agriculture and provide better education for journalism and communication.
Grants are available to UK Guild Members who are active in food and farming journalism and communications, as well as those wishing to begin a career in it.
Applications for educational and/or professional development will be especially welcomed.
Joe, pictured above, died suddenly in March 2014. He was 43.
The Joe Watson Legacy Fund was established with the help of the financial surplus generated from the 2014 IFAJ Congress, which was hosted by the BGAJ and held in Aberdeen.
Guild chairman Ben Briggs said: “Joe was the driving force behind bringing the IFAJ Congress to Aberdeen in 2014. The Congress was a great success and it was sad Joe passed away before it took place.
“We hope the fund goes some way to honouring his memory.”
Members wishing to attend IFAJ or ENAJ events will be able to apply for a grant to cover some of their travel expenses – providing they are willing to share and report on the subject of their grant application.
In the same way, members hoping to attend a relevant training course will also have their applications considered.
The first round of awards will be capped at £1500. Further details will be published when they become available in the coming weeks.
