History graduate’s legacy to inspire local students in the arts
The Mark Scrimshaw Memorial Fund will provide two Newcastle University students from areas of hardship with a three-year scholarship to empower them to pursue a degree in the arts.
23 June 2025
Mark first arrived on campus in 1973 as an undergraduate student to read History. He was the first in his family to go to university and while here, he enjoyed all that university life has to offer. Mark was Deputy President of the Students’ Union, and in this role he lobbied MP Shirley Williams to bring in a student railcard. He also served as President of the Union Film Club and Theatre Society, for which he directed 17 plays in three years, and enjoyed trips to Europe with friends made on campus.
Upon graduating, Mark went to the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School to take a stage management qualification and embarked on a career as a director. In the 1980s, Mark changed course, joining the BBC and returning to the North East to make documentary features, where he remained for 30 years.
It is these documentaries that he is perhaps most well-known. He produced and directed the Close Up North documentary series from 1985 to 1993, winning several awards, including for his documentary about the 1991 Meadow Well riots and a six-part series, The North Sea.
Giving back to Newcastle’s cultural scene
Alongside his demanding career in the arts, Mark always found time to give back to the North East’s cultural scene. His affinity with Newcastle and the North East was partly born out of coming from a small mining village himself – both Mark’s father and grandfather were miners. He once said that he “inherited my love of art, cinema and literature from my mum, and sports and politics from my dad”.
He was on the Board and later Vice-Chair of Northern Arts during the exciting times from 1998 to 2002 which saw the development and implementation of plans for regenerating the Quayside, through the construction of the Sage (now The Glasshouse), and the completion and opening of the Baltic and the Millennium Bridge. He also served as Chair for Live Theatre on the Quayside.
A theme that links most of Mark’s varied salaried and voluntary activities is an interest in people and communities and how they work. His documentary work focussed on local communities, and he has helped enhance the cultural life and services enjoyed by communities on both sides of the Tyne.
The Mark Scrimshaw Memorial Scholarship
Although Mark graduated from Newcastle University in 1976, he remained connected to campus and his alumni community for his entire life. He chaired the Alumni Consultative Group (ACG) from 2005 – 2011; upon leaving this role, he was made an Honorary Fellow of the University and sat on the University Council too.
Mark also cared deeply about the next generation of Newcastle alumni. From 1999, he generously donated to undergraduate bursaries, ensuring all students on campus could enjoy the same student experience he had. He also chose to leave a gift of £10,000 to the University in his will, which has established the Mark Scrimshaw Memorial Scholarship.
Jill Scrimshaw, Mark’s wife, also generously donated an additional £1,000 to honour Mark’s birthday earlier this year, providing hardship support to students on campus when times are toughest. She said:
“Mark and I went to university in the 1970s, the Golden Age; I received a full grant, and we knew, even studying the Arts, we were still guaranteed a job as graduates. Having faced family challenges as a child, education was my sanctuary.
“Sadly, young people face even greater challenges now. I have spent my entire career in teaching, especially with vulnerable people. I know it is consistency that counts; removing small setbacks that can enable people to thrive. Empowering people through education has been my lifelong mission and I see this bursary as the next phase of this.
Mark and I always intended to support students at Newcastle University and began the process while Mark was still alive. The team at the university were compassionate throughout everything, and we were able to establish the bursary just a month after Mark died. I am delighted to help Abigail and April in Mark’s memory.”
Mark’s legacy has established two scholarships for students from Newcastle and the surrounding area who are studying in our Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, with both receiving £2,000 per year for their three-year degree programme to help with living expenses.
Thanks to Mark and Jill’s gift, current Sociology student April and Education student Abigail can make the most of their time at Newcastle University and reach their potential. While living at home in her first year, April plans to use some of her scholarship to gain independence and rent her own accommodation next year, as well as contributing to the cost of supplies needed for her course. She said:
“I am so grateful for the generosity of the Scrimshaw family and their contributions towards my student experience. I cannot express how appreciative I am to receive this scholarship – thank you!”
Thank you to the Scrimshaw family for their generous support of Newcastle students
By committing a legacy donation to Newcastle University, you can make a lasting difference by helping future students, future research and a future of positive change in our city and around the world – just like Mark.
Free will writing for Newcastle alumni
All alumni and their partners have access to the free will writing service provided by The Taylor Lucas Partnership.
Over half of the population do not have a will and research shows this is mainly due to cost, a lack of understanding and a general confusion on how to access a professional service. We are happy to offer all members of our alumni community a free will writing service to eliminate these obstacles.
How to prepare a will
As part of our Newcastle Discover Series, we recently held a webinar with Newcastle-based law firm Mincoffs Solicitors. In this webinar Lydia McCaslin, Head of Wills, Trust and Probate discussed how to prepare a Will, the different types of Power Attorney and how to leave a legacy donation to a charity. If you're thinking about arranging a Will this year, you can catch up on this webinar on our YouTube channel.