Chelsea Basis awards bursaries to 2 aspiring sports activities journalists | Information | Official Website

Chelsea Basis’s inaugural bursary programme, which was launched in October of 2021, is a part of Chelsea’s work to assist diversify soccer and sports activities extra extensively, each on and off the pitch, which is a central pillar of the membership and Basis’s No To Hate marketing campaign.

Fashioned in partnership with the Black Collective of Media in Sports activities (BCOMS), an organisation on a mission to diversify the sports activities media within the UK, the bursary programme units out to utterly fund two college students from under-represented backgrounds to finish the NCTJ course at Information Associates and supply a contribution to their dwelling bills too.

On receiving the bursary, Joseph mentioned, ‘I really feel blessed to be chosen as one of many candidates for this yr’s bursary programme and I’m so grateful for this chance given by Chelsea and BCOMS.

‘I’ve been aspiring to a profession in sports activities media for some time, and the bursary programme gives me a golden alternative to proceed pursuing this. My hope is that in finishing this programme, I could make a contribution to diversifying sports activities media, and set an instance for anybody seeking to comply with swimsuit.’

Sirayah shared Joseph’s pleasure: ‘I’m grateful to be named one of many recipients of the 2023 Chelsea x BCOMS bursary. I’m trying ahead to blossoming into an esteemed and modern sports activities journalist.

‘This bursary means an amazing deal, because it instantly facilitates my hope to attach and diversify England’s sports activities media with the expertise and views of Africa and the Arab world. I really feel blessed that my membership and BCOMS are supporting me by way of this thrilling chapter in my profession, and I look ahead to sharing my journey with you all.’

Sirayah and Joseph had been amongst eight different candidates additionally interviewed for the bursary by a panel from throughout Chelsea FC, BCOMS and Information Associates.

Chelsea communications supervisor Joe Bacon mentioned: ‘Chelsea Soccer Membership is delighted to proceed our partnership with BCOMS and supply Sirayah and Joseph the chance to hone their burgeoning careers as journalists at Information Associates.

‘It was a particularly troublesome choice course of, with all candidates demonstrating the way forward for the trade is thrilling, progressive and numerous.’

Leon Mann MBE, founding father of BCOMS, mentioned: ‘BCOMS is admittedly proud that our partnership with the Chelsea Basis is making such an impression. The recipients of the bursary are extremely spectacular and we will see them happening to make waves within the sports activities media.

‘This collaboration is a robust instance of what may be achieved when the trade works collectively for optimistic change. An enormous thanks to Chelsea for his or her continued assist and dedication.’

Drew Christie, chair of BCOMS, mentioned: ‘It was a extremely troublesome job to choose simply two bursary recipients from an excellent shortlist full of expertise. Sirayah and Joseph got here by way of a extremely robust choice course of and the abilities and information they will achieve from learning with Information Associates will supercharge their progress within the trade. Thanks once more to Chelsea FC for his or her persevering with dedication to work with BCOMS to assist convey larger range to the UK sports activities media.’

Information Associates editorial growth supervisor Lucy Dyer mentioned: ‘We’re thrilled to be working with BCOMS and Chelsea FC once more on this scheme. We’re actually trying ahead to welcoming Joseph and Sirayah on to the course subsequent month.’

Chelsea FC, Chelsea Basis and BCOMS have been in partnership for over three years. At each residence fixture since September 2020, Chelsea FC have supplied a BCOMS Masterclass scholar with an area within the press field at Stamford Bridge, serving to present skilled entry and alternative to younger aspiring journalists who would possibly in any other case not have the possibility to attend, expertise and report on elite soccer.

This partnership was prolonged by way of the Chelsea Basis and No To Hate marketing campaign, when in October 2021, we launched the Journalist Bursary Programme. Since then, BCOMS and the Chelsea Basis collaborated on an occasion to convey collectively black content material creators working throughout soccer.