The Elizabeth R. Broadcasting Fund
The Elizabeth R. Broadcasting Fund was set up in 1995 to assist the development of broadcasting skills in the Commonwealth. It began with a grant of £50,000 from the royalties of the original Elizabeth R TV programme.
It offers matching funds to recognised training organisations for specific projects to promote quality broadcasting and since its beginnings has helped hundreds of broadcasters throughout the Commonwealth learn new broadcasting techniques on study visits, training courses, seminars and conferences.
In recent years, the Fund has granted bursaries and scholarships to people from different broadcasting disciplines -- journalists, broadcast managers, producers, technical people and others -- to visit the UK and other Commonwealth countries in order to study best practice.
The Trustees of the charity have distributed the monies to a variety of reputable NGO's -- including the Commonwealth Broadcasting Association [CBA], the One World Broadcasting Trust, The Asia-Pacific Institute For Broadcasting Development [AIBD] and the Thomson Foundation -- all of which organise seminars and study visits according to the needs of each individual selected.
Matching grants have been offered through regular sponsors, including the Commonwealth Media Development Fund, the BBC's Grace Wyndham Goldie Trust Fund and individual sponsors as well as the Palace itself.
The President of the Elizabeth R Fund is Floella Benjamin O.B.E.
The Trustees are all experienced media practitioners:
Michael Bunce O.B.E
Dinah Garrett
Paul Howson
Alec McGivan
In 2007 sixteen Commonwealth broadcasters received travelling scholarships from the ER Fund and training activities took place in Kenya, Tanzania and the Caribbean. In 2008 election training is being planned for Ghana and Swaziland, while the extension of Public Service Broadcasting is on the agenda in the Caribbean.
Applications are invited from Commonwealth broadcasters who wish to extend their knowledge of a specific radio or TV sector on a matched funding basis.
Donors are also invited to help maintain and extend the range of the Fund's activities.
All correspondence should be directed to:
Gareth Price
Honorary Secretary
The Elizabeth R Fund
Email: price.g@ntlworld.com
or c/o CBA, 17 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1AA.
The Elizabeth R Fund is a registered charity in the UK – Number 1095459.