The award will celebrate quality journalism which contribute towards and gives a fair balanced picture of anti-racism and multi-culturalism in Britain and Ireland and raises awareness of the role of the media after the Lawrence events.

Who can apply? Applications are invited from ethnic minority students undertaking industry-recognised training in journalism whether at college on a "pre-entry" course (NVQ level 4) or "in-service".

Who was Felix Dearden? Felix, a promising Reuters journalist, lost her life in the Kings Cross fire in 1987. Her parents, Riki and Peter Dearden, wanted the prize fund set up in memory of their daughter to help journalist students from a Black and ethnic minority background.

Rules

The award will be for the best feature article or substantial news story, whether written or recorded on audio or video tape or in the form of a photographic feature, on a subject bearing upon either British and/or Irish journalism and Black people or race relations in Britain and/or Ireland.

In the case of students on pre-entry courses, the feature or news item must have been produced as part of the students' course work and certified as such by a relevant member of the course staff or, where the work was done during attachment, by a relevant member of staff at the newspaper, magazine or broadcasting station.

For "in-service" trainees, the editor or other appropriate member of staff at the newspaper, magazine or broadcasting station MUST CERTIFY that the item submitted is the original work of the trainee.

Entries should be submitted before January 24th, 2001 and should have been originated within the preceding 12 months.

The George Viner Memorial Fund Trustees will judge entries.

The GVMF Trustees will be given the right to reproduce or transmit in any media, for non-commercial purposes, the work has been selected.

The prize winner will receive an award of £500 and the Prize will be presented at the NUJ's Annual Delegate Meeting on March 29th to 1st April 2001 in Scarborough.

The Prize is administered by the George Viner Memorial Fund, a registered Charity established by the National Union of Journalists and sponsored by well-known media and community personalities. The Trustees are Beulah Ainley, Jim Boumelha, John Foster, Lionel Morrison OBE and Carole Plaster.

For further information contact: Ian Howarth, Felix Dearden Memorial Prize, NUJ, Acorn House, 314 Gray's Inn Road, London WCIX 8DP