As the budding journalists of the future, Mencap is calling on all of you to enter our inaugural Journalism Awards.

The Mencap This year we celebrate our 70th Anniversary. As part of a year of celebration, we are launching the Mencap Journalism Journalism Awards, to encourage discussion and raise Awards 2017 awareness of issues surrounding learning disability. Mencap is the leading charity for learning disability. We work in partnership with people with a learning disability and all our services support people to live life as they choose.

But we need your help.

Although so much has changed in the last 70 years, more needs to be done to raise awareness of the challenges that people with a learning disability face and to help change attitudes towards learning disability.

So we are inviting you to enter one of two categories – Print Journalism or Broadcast Journalism. Full details, advice, contacts and guidelines on entering can be found below. Print journalism Broadcast journalism

In this category, we are asking entrants to submit an 800-1000 In this category, we ask entrants to submit a piece of broadcast word article. This can be either a news, investigative, interview or material between 3 – 5 minutes long, suitable for broadcast on feature piece, that would be appropriate for publication in tabloid, radio, television or online. broadsheet or consumer outlet. You can decide which type of outlet you would be writing for from these three options. This can be a documentary or interview, or news bulletin, but again must explore learning disability in a new and creative way This can be on a topic of any choice but must be of relevance to to capture the attention of our judges. the work and ethos of Mencap. Submissions can be made by visiting our Mencap Journalism We ask that submissions include a word count, headline, your full Awards website www.mencap.org.uk/journalism-awards-2017 name, name of your university and course if you are a student and the type of the publication you would be writing for (tabloid, broadsheet or consumer). All of these would need to be submitted in .pdf or .doc format. Prizes

A cash prize of £1000 will be awarded to the winners of each category.

£700 will be awarded to the runner up in each category.

£500 will be awarded for those in third place of each category.

Mencap will also publish the winning submissions on their website, and in other PR activities. Mencap will retain publishing rights to all entries made.

We will invite all winners to a prize giving ceremony at Mencap’s head office in London attended by all the judges. Jan Tregelles support package to enable people As CEO of Mencap, she believes Judges to live in their own home. families should be placed at the Jan has been working for Mencap centre of their work. since 1996, when she was Following this she moved into the responsible for setting up Golden role of Director of Personal Support, She is an authentic, warm and Lane Housing to create secure a position which she credits as giving approachable voice who is improved housing options and her the required exposure to families extremely knowledgeable of her solutions. The success of this and carers to gain a practical insight subject. scheme was due to its identifying into the joys and challenges faced by and securing the right housing and families everyday.

Mencap Ambassador with a learning disability to have a news, Ciara is one of the most Ciara Lawrence greater voice in mainstream active spokespeople with a learning society, and recently this has disability in the UK. Ciara has a learning disability and focussed on increasing has worked for Mencap for more representation in the media. From than XX years. She has dedicated having meetings with the chief her life campaigning for people executive of ITV to being interviewed for the BBC 10 O’Clock

Roger Alton years, before being appointed last year. He now holds an Editor of The Observer, a post he executive position at the . Roger is a seasoned journalist who held for nine years. He then In his role as Editor of the has worked at the majority of the simultaneously worked as a Sports Observer, he was responsible for country’s leading newspapers. Columnist for The Spectator and as introducing the award-winning Having graduated from Oxford Editor of – a post Observer Sports, Food and Music University, he started his career at he held for two years prior to being Monthlies. the Liverpool Post before joining the appointed Executive Editor of The Guardian, where he worked for 22 Times in 2010, a position he left

Colin Rogers company, Deco Films, has produced local journalists in reporting issues both tv drama and films. Colin has ranging from HIV/AIDS to financial Colin has worked as a writer, also run an EU-financed film fund, corruption. Outside of his media director, producer and executive taught a Master’s degree in work, Colin was Vice-Chair of producer for BBC TV and ITV. He Professional Writing and been Cornwall & the Isles of Scilly NHS was Head of Scripts for ATV, Country Director for BBC Media Primary Care Trust from 2005 to Deputy Head of BBC TV Drama Action in both India and Nigeria, 2008 and a co-opted trustee of (Series & Serials) and Controller of running large international Mencap until he regretfully stood Drama for Meridian, a company he development projects which down in 2014 having served the helped to found. Colin’s own included training and support for maximum eight-year term. Sir Nicholas Lloyd and, in 1972, became Assistant from 1984, and finally edited the Editor at the . from 1986 to 1995. Sir Nicholas started his career as a Lloyd received a knighthood in the reporter at the Daily Mail in 1964. In 1976, he returned to the 1990 Prime Minister’s Resignation He was made Education where he was made Assistant Honours. He presented a breakfast Correspondent at The Sunday Editor before joining the Sunday show on LBC 97.3 from 1997 to Times in 1966 and was made its Mirror in 1980 as Deputy Editor. 1999. Since 1996, he has been the Deputy News Editor in 1968. Chairman of the PR consultancy, He edited from BLJ London. In 1970 he moved to The Sun 1982 to 1983, then moved to edit where he was made News Editor the News of the World for a year

Kate Spicer authored several documentaries, including Mission to Lars, which Kate Spicer is a journalist and was released in cinemas around documentary maker. Her work has the world and told the story of her appeared in many newspapers, brother Tom, who has a severe magazines and on web titles, learning disability caused by Fragile including, most recently: The X Syndrome, and his quest to meet Sunday Times, Financial Times, the drummer of Metallica. Wallpaper* and The Pool. She has

Alex Miller and the youth brand’s network of Miller himself was named the Editor 10 award-winning digital channels. of the Year 2015 (Online Media Alex Miller is Creative Director for Under Miller’s tenure, VICE UK’s Awards). VICELAND, working with the journalism and video content won VICELAND international executive a series of awards including Media Miller has presented and produced team on VICE’s expanding series of Company of the Year (British Media investigative news documentaries television networks. Awards 2014), Best Editorial Team from around the world, ranging (AOP Digital Publishing Awards from protests in Venezuela, to the Miller has worked at VICE for over 2014), Best Video Journalism rise of the far right in the UK, to the eight years, most recently as VICE’s (Online Media Awards 2014), and brutal fallout of the economic crisis Global Head of Content, overseeing Best Original Web Channel in Greece. editorial content across VICE.com (Broadcast Digital Awards 2014). We want to encourage the journalists of tomorrow to write about issues surrounding learning disability, as well as allowing those with a learning disability to have a greater voice in the media..

For information on issues affecting people with a learning disability that can help inform your submissions, head to the Mencap website under the Mencap Journalism Awards section. We look forward to receiving your entries!

Entry guidelines and advice the type of outlet you would be writing for (broadsheet, tabloid or consumer magazine. The same applies for broadcast submissions and Who can enter? these must be submitted via the Mencap website with your length of piece your full name, name of your university and course if you are a We want the Mencap Journalism Awards to help the journalists of student. www.mencap.org.uk/journalism-awards-2017 tomorrow have a better understanding of learning disability and so are asking any aspiring journalist under the age of 26 to enter the Mencap If you have any other questions, these can also be directed to Journalism Awards. [email protected].

What type of content should I enter? What format should I submit my entry?

As stated above we are asking people to enter one of two categories – For the Print Journalism category please use .pdf or .doc format. Print Journalism or Broadcast Journalism. For the Broadcast Journalism Awards please use .mp3, .mp4 or .mov. With all of the entries they need to be relevant to learning disability and the work of Mencap. For inspiration the Mencap website has a wealth What are the deadlines to enter? of information on learning disability. This document here also outlines some of the key issues affecting people with a learning disability today – The Mencap Journalism Awards officially opens on the 10th January. The www.mencap.org.uk/sites/default/files/2016-06/Mencap_ closing date for entries is 15th March 2017. Manifesto_2014_1.pdf The winners will then be contacted and invited to an awards ceremony There is also a useful journalists guide to learning disability here: at a date to be confirmed. www.mencap.org.uk/media-centre/journalists-guide-learning-disability Who can I contact for further questions?

How can I enter? If you are a student at a participating University, your head of faculty should be able to take your queries and share them with us. Otherwise You must submit your print or broadcast submission via the Mencap we would suggest contacting the below email and we will do our best to Journalism Awards page on our website. Print submissions must be respond to all questions we receive: [email protected] submitted in word or PDF format with your word count, headline, your full name, name of your university and course if you are a student and

Registered charity number 222377 (England and Wales); SC041079 (Scotland) 2016.200