Canadian freelancers to benefit from safety training link

A Canadian charity is linking up with a British one to boost hazardous environment training for Canadian freelance journalists.

The Forum Freelance Fund, a program inaugurated last year by the Canadian Journalism Forum on Violence and Trauma, is joining forces with Britain’s Rory Peck Trust.  It’s likely to mean that Canadian freelancers and others working for Canadian media will be able to obtain complementary bursaries from each organization.

At the same time, the Forum Freelance Fund is expecting to double the number of bursaries it awards this year.

Cliff Lonsdale, President of the Forum, says: “Because these safety courses are generally held in Britain or the United States, it costs more for Canadians to attend them. The link with the Rory Peck Trust means these courses will become more affordable.”

He added: “Journalists around the world are more at risk than ever before, and news organizations are relying on freelancers to a much higher degree in difficult times.  We all have a responsibility to do what we can to protect them from harm.”

In a joint news release, Tina Carr, director of The Rory Peck Trust, said:  "We are delighted to be partnering with the CJFVT on this. The Forum Freelance Fund is an important initiative that has already benefitted Canadian freelancers.  By working together we hope to increase the Fund's impact and enable more freelancers to receive this essential training".

The Rory Peck Trust, a UK-based charity, is dedicated to the safety and welfare of freelance newsgatherers and their families around the world.  It was set up in 1995 in memory of Rory Peck, a freelance television cameraman killed while filming in Moscow two years earlier, and it now operates in over 60 countries providing financial assistance, support and advice.

Details of the Forum Freelance Fund’s bursary competitions can be found on the Forum’s website. Applications close August 31, 2012.