Journalism & Creative Writing charity partner host media masterclass in Falmouth
27 February 2026
The John Schofield Trust, a national charity which partners with Falmouth University, provides mentoring, training and masterclass opportunities for budding journalists. The charity has now hosted its first event in Falmouth: an evening that featured an exclusive Q&A with BBC journalist Ros Atkins.
The event, held at The Cornish Bank on Thursday 19 February, brought together students from Falmouth’s writing, journalism and BA(Hons) Media Production courses and journalists from across the South West for a networking opportunity that was the latest event in the scheme that Falmouth’s journalism courses have been part of since 2023.
The charity, who support early-career journalists living outside of London to build a career in the industry, hosted the evening with Ros Atkins, a BBC News Analysis Editor who grew up in Stithians. Talking about the event, he shared: “The John Schofield Trust does brilliant work, and it was really exciting to take part in this event, especially as it's so close to where I grew up.”
Ros has been mentoring BA(Hons) Journalism & Creative Writing graduate, Danielle Hutchinson, over the last year, a mentorship which started when Danielle was in her third year at Falmouth. Now, she has helped to host and manage the local event.
Over the course of her mentoring, Danielle graduated from her degree and started a business as a freelance journalist. Reflecting on her experience and how it has helped her to make a career in journalism, Danielle shared: “This mentoring scheme has given me an incredible insight into the industry, with the opportunity to visit the BBC and see for myself how the news reaches our screens. I’m incredibly grateful to my lecturers, Ros and the John Schofield Trust for giving me the confidence and encouragement to pursue a career in journalism.”
Reflecting on the event with the Trust, Danielle added: “It was an absolute privilege to host the first ever John Schofield Trust masterclass in Cornwall; it was brilliant to share the stage with my mentor Ros Atkins and discuss the opportunities that the Trust has given both myself and other early-career journalists across the country.
“I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to connect with current students, answer their questions and share my experiences since graduating. We had a fantastic crowd of professional journalists, students and members of the public, all keen to network and share their perspectives on the media industry.”
Course Leader for BA(Hons) Journalism & Creative Writing and BA(Hons) Media Production, Andy Chatfield, shared: “It’s been wonderful to have Ros come back to his home county. Ros Atkins’ celebrated style of ‘explainer journalism’ has been a feature of the university’s journalism teaching for a number of years.
“This event has been a unique opportunity for our students to not only hear first-hand from a leading figure in BBC journalism but also for media folk from all over Cornwall to network with one another and with our students. We are so grateful that the John Schofield Trust chose Falmouth for this event and thrilled that we packed out The Cornish Bank. It is something we now intend to build on in the future.”
Director of the charity, Howard Littler, told us: “This was the first time the John Schofield Trust has hosted an event in Cornwall, and it has been really exciting to make it happen. The event was part of our 'Regional Masterclass' series, which recognises that despite there being such concentrated opportunities in London, it is entirely possible to have a successful career outside of the capital.”
The Trust was founded in 1996 by Susie Schofield, widow of journalist John Schofield who died whilst reporting in Croatia. Over the past 30 years, the charity has supported thousands of early-career journalists to break into the sector, with a particular focus on those from underprivileged backgrounds and without pre-existing connections in the industry.
Outside of journalism, Ros also works as a DJ and recently had the chance to perform at Glastonbury 2025. While in Falmouth, Ros brought his ‘Rave Machine’ show to The Cornish Bank on Saturday 21 February, which featured a brilliant line-up of DJs. “When I was a teenager growing up in Stithians, I was enthusiastic about journalism and dance music in equal measure,” he shared. “To have done two events at The Cornish Bank, one talking about journalism, the other playing dance music, is quite something.”
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