2021 Fellow Naomi de Souza is celebrating this month, having secured her NQJ and a new job at Birmingham Live.

The good news keeps on coming for Naomi who picked up an NCTJ Award for Excellence in March this year for her work with Coventry Live. The Community News Award she received recognised outstanding work done by community reporters.

Naomi covered an amazing range of stories over the last year from Afghan refugees in the city, to skin lightening, to a rollerskating OAP who raised a fortune for charity.

Naomi will be a senior reporter covering Solihull, and said of her move, “Nothing beats reporting in the city you grew up in [I am] grateful to the communities across Coventry that have trusted me with their story. [I am] delighted to be joining Birmingham Live [along with] a brilliant team of patch reporters.” She will start in May after some well deserved annual leave.