A new Commonwealth Press Union (CPU) Trust has been formed to carry on the vital work of the CPU, which was closed at the end of last year following a restructuring.

According to a press release from the Society of Editors, a new body, provisionally called the Commonwealth Press Training and Education Trust, has been formed to take forward the CPU’s central mission of supporting and expanding press freedom throughout the Commonwealth.

A new Board of Trustees has been appointed including: Ian Beales, Secretary of the UK Editors’ Code of Practice Committee and founding editor of CPQ; Guy Black, Coporate Affairs Director of Telegraph Media Group and Former Director of the UK Press Complaints Commission, who becomes Chairman of the new Trust; James MacManus, Executive Director of News International; Patsy Robertson, former Director of Information at the Commonwealth Secretariat; Bob Satchwell, Director of the Society of Editors; Derek Smail, Executive Chairman, Africa Media Investments; and John Spencer, Operations Director of the Press Association.

Lindsay Ross will act as a consultant to the trust and will work with the trustees to focus the work of the new trust on the key issues of importance and concern to the media throughout the Commonwealth, and to carry forward the work of the CPU. The trustees will be in contact with members of the CPU early in this year.