In a series of posts to mark Volunteers’ Week, we celebrate the contribution a host of volunteers give to support the John Schofield Trust in our work to improve diversity in newsrooms. Without our volunteers we would be nothing.

172 senior journalists who mentor for us, many of whom have mentored more than once

‘I wanted to offer some of the support, guidance and encouragement that I wish I’d had when starting out, and to help young journalists in the early stages of their career.’ – Mentor Chris Wilson, Editor, News Output, Sky News

29 journalists who volunteer for our online mentoring scheme for sixth formers who live and/or study in disadvantaged areas

‘It’s been humbling to be able to offer help, assistance and advice at possibly the most exciting time of their lives.’ – Online mentor

10 trustees, all of whom are volunteers

‘It’s brilliant to see young journalists flourish over the year they are being mentored by John Schofield Trust volunteers and to hear  the volunteer mentors speak about how much they have learned through mentoring. It’s even better to see just how many of those mentoring relationships last much more than a year – some are still going eight years on. That’s what makes volunteering so rewarding for me.’ – Trustee, Kate Riley, former BBC journalist

28 who have volunteered to speaker at our receptions and masterclasses

‘In journalism, experience counts for a lot. What works and what doesn’t isn’t easy to set out in a textbook; it’s learnt on the job. That’s why I was so happy to host a masterclass for the John Schofield Trust. It was the perfect forum to pass on some of what I’ve picked up over the years… and a great chance for me to learn from journalism’s next generation too!’ – Masterclass speaker Catherine Jones, Health Correspondent, Channel 5 News

Founder and chair of trustees, Susie Schofield (pictured below), says: