Jay was an enormously talented radio documentary-maker and filmmaker. He started his radio career at Goldsmiths University in London, before joining the BBC where he made numerous radio documentaries.

In 2014 Jay began teaching at Goldsmiths, University of London. He was very excited about sparking the same passion in others that had been ignited in him while at the university. To celebrate Jay’s life, and his many talents, we are working on three legacy projects in partnership with Goldsmiths. We will keep you informed of their progress here.

Goldsmiths Radio Post-Production Booth

Jay was a self-confessed radio geek. He would spend hours editing audio, music and sound to create documentaries that vividly told compelling stories. If there is one place that is synonymous with this side of Jay, it would be an audio-editing booth. Tim Crook, at Goldsmiths, would like to name one of their radio post-production rooms after Jay. The idea is that the room, containing pictures as well as sound, will inspire the radio documentary-makers of tomorrow.

Goldsmiths Annual Radio Prize

The Media and Communications Department at Goldsmiths has kindly offered to create an annual radio prize in Jay’s name for radio students. The prize would be awarded to a student who has demonstrated excellence in radio skills  – whether radio drama, news or documentary – reflecting what Jay strived to do; tell extraordinary stories about ordinary people to illustrate wider truths about the world.

Goldsmiths Bursary

This is where we need your help. Perhaps the most career-defining moment for Jay was being awarded the Goldsmiths MA Radio bursary ten years ago. It launched him into a world of story-telling, journalism and documentary-making. Without it, his future would have been very different. Together with Goldsmiths, we are asking for family and friends to help fund a bursary that will give future documentary-makers those same opportunities. We would like to fund one bursary a year, awarded to a promising student who is experiencing financial hardship and who otherwise would not be able to do the course. Our hope is that this would then broaden the range of people who can take the course, and in so doing, broaden the range of documentary makers working in the UK.

Making a donation

It is straightforward to make a one off donation or set up a direct debit via the Goldsmiths website.

• To make a one-off donation via credit or debit card, click on the ‘Give now’ link at: www.gold.ac.uk/giving-to-goldsmiths/give-now/. You will need to enter your personal details on the first page. You will then be directed to the payment page where there is a drop down menu titled ‘Designation’. Here you should select “In memory of Jay Merriman-Mukoro”.
• If you wish to make a regular gift, there is an e-direct debit form, or a printable form, which you should send directly to Antoinette Carey, Research and Database Manager at Goldsmiths, University of London, New Cross, London SE14 6NW.

If you have any queries over your donation please contact Antoinette on 020 7919 7465, a.carey@gold.ac.uk,

We would be very grateful for anything you can give. And we will update you here about the beneficiaries of the scheme.