Scott Trust Bursary recipients announced

The Guardian Foundation announced last week the recipients of this year’s bursaries: Sundus Abdi, Priya Bharadia, Sinead Campbell, Yassin El-Moudden, Leyla Reynolds and Isaaq Tomkins. They will start their MAs in Journalism in September at Goldsmiths College, University of London, Leeds Trinity University, City, University of London, The University of Sheffield, Birmingham City University and Manchester Metropolitan University respectively.

Speaking of the recipients, the Guardian Foundation added:

• Sinead Campbell has been working as a journalist since graduating, including for the Financial Times Weekend Magazine.
• Sundus Abdi has previously worked in communications for charities fighting for migration justice, shaping their commitment to highlighting underrepresented voices and addressing social injustice.
• Priya Bharadia is a recent graduate from the University of Cambridge, where she wrote for the student newspaper. She is currently an intern at the Wall Street Journal.
• Yassin El-Moudden has worked in education and the media since graduating. Before this, he founded and ran an independent student newspaper.
• Leyla Reynolds has previously worked in communications for a range of organisations, is a talented illustrator and was a founder and art director of gal-dem magazine.
• Isaaq Tomkins is a recent graduate from the University of Oxford, where he edited the university’s magazine.

Find out more about them here.

Kelly Walls, executive director, The Guardian Foundation, said: “I’m delighted to welcome these six new bursary recipients. Sundus, Priya, Sinead, Yassin, Leyla and Isaaq are a brilliant group and we look forward to them bringing fresh ideas to the world of journalism. They are joining a long list of previous recipients who have gone on to become accomplished journalists at the Guardian, Financial Times, BBC and more. A big congratulations to them.”

For the last 36 years, the Guardian Foundation says the bursary scheme has assisted over 140 students from backgrounds underrepresented in the media, offering funding and experience at a level unmatched by any other UK journalism scholarship.

Last year, the Foundation says it added three new bursaries reserved specifically for Black aspiring journalists in the UK. These are funded by the Scott Trust and form part of a decade-long programme of restorative justice in response to independent research into the Guardian’s historical connections to transatlantic slavery. The findings, published last year, identified links between John Edward Taylor and the associates who funded the Manchester Guardian’s creation, and slavery.

Last year’s six recipients have completed their masters degree and are about to start their 9 month placement at the Guardian, where they will work in different areas of the newsroom and further develop their skills as journalists.

Guardian Australia announced it has also launched its first journalism cadetship aimed at increasing diversity in the newsroom, while a similar scheme is currently in development with Guardian US.

The Guardian Foundation says the Scott Trust Bursary is a key part of its work to facilitate voice and agency with those who face barriers entering careers in journalism. It offers tuition fees, living expenses, mentoring and work placements at the Guardian. Many recipients have gone on to successful careers in the industry, working for news outlets such as the Guardian, BBC, New York Times, Financial Times and the Mirror. The scheme’s alumni include Gary Younge, Randeep Ramesh, Samira Ahmed, Tariq Panja, Simon Murphy, Pippa Crerar, Lanre Bakare and more.

The application process for the 2025-26 Scott Trust Bursary will commence early next year.

You can read more about the programme here.