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Donate towards the Michael Donaghy Award, Crenham Award or Kevin Jackson Award

Schools group on an Arvon writing course UK

Michael Donaghy Award

In memory of the poet Michael Donaghy, and with 2024 being the 20-year-anniversary of Michael’s tragic and untimely death, we are raising £8,000 to support a poet who otherwise would not be able to afford it to take part in Arvon’s Advanced Writing Programme starting in September 2024.

Michael began teaching at Arvon in 1990 and went on to become a regular and immensely popular tutor. He had a highly original approach to teaching that, while being essentially playful and creative, was deeply grounded in serious literary and cultural knowledge, that was never less than inspiring. His unique and invaluable contribution as a poetry tutor at Arvon led to The Hurst naming their prestigious library after him.

“Michael was not just an extremely talented poet but a generous one. He was generous with his time, his advice and his ability to nurture and encourage the many young poets around him. I’ve been in the world of poetry for thirty years and he and his work stand out amongst the many.” William Sieghart – founder of the Forward Prizes for Poetry

You can donate to the Michael Donaghy Award by credit or debit card, using the form below:






Through the UK Government’s Gift Aid scheme, Arvon can claim an additional 25p for every £1 you donate. So if you are a UK taxpayer, you can increase the value of your donations to us by 25%, at no extra cost to yourself. Simply fill in your details below and tick the box to confirm your taxpayer status.


We will use the details provided to update your record and to process your donations to us. Please note: Arvon can only claim Gift Aid if you provide your full first name, surname and home address.

UK Address




I want to Gift Aid my donation and any donations I make in the future or have made in the past 4 years to Arvon.

I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any difference:

Please notify  Arvon if you: 

 – want to cancel this declaration
 – want to change your name or home address
 – no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains


If you pay Income Tax at the higher or additional rate and want to receive the additional tax relief due to you, you must include all your Gift Aid donations on your Self-Assessment tax return or ask HM Revenue and Customs to adjust your tax code.



Contact Information

Crenham Award

Arvon’s Crenham Award enables vulnerable and marginalised young people and adults to be mentored by highly respected authors on an Arvon Writing Week. The Crenham Award honours the vision of Arvon’s co-founder, the late John Moat, to increase access to literature and creative writing for marginalised young people and adults. We believe that immersing yourself in creative writing nourishes the imagination, and deepens the connection to self and to the world, helping to create new possibilities and change.

The name Crenham comes from the home that he shared with his wife Antoinette for nearly fifty years. Nestled in a steep, wooded valley in north Devon, Crenham Mill was John’s retreat and a special place that inspired his artistic endeavour.

Join us by making a donation, and we’ll keep you updated on the creative journey of the beneficiaries.

“The space to write, guided by published authors, was invaluable. Participants were encouraged to pursue excellence, to stretch the limits of their writing ability. This wasn’t diversionary, time-filling activity but real art – challenging and ambitious. We are excited by the idea of a three year partnership with Arvon. We can’t wait to see the work that comes out of it!” —Peter Naylor, the Coordinator of the programme

You can donate to The Crenham Award by credit or debit card, using the form below:






Through the UK Government’s Gift Aid scheme, Arvon can claim an additional 25p for every £1 you donate. So if you are a UK taxpayer, you can increase the value of your donations to us by 25%, at no extra cost to yourself. Simply fill in your details below and tick the box to confirm your taxpayer status.


We will use the details provided to update your record and to process your donations to us. Please note: Arvon can only claim Gift Aid if you provide your full first name, surname and home address.

UK Address




I want to Gift Aid my donation and any donations I make in the future or have made in the past 4 years to Arvon.

I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any difference:

Please notify  Arvon if you: 

 – want to cancel this declaration
 – want to change your name or home address
 – no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains


If you pay Income Tax at the higher or additional rate and want to receive the additional tax relief due to you, you must include all your Gift Aid donations on your Self-Assessment tax return or ask HM Revenue and Customs to adjust your tax code.



Contact Information

The Kevin Jackson Award

Arvon’s Kevin Jackson award enables a state school group from a disadvantaged area to participate in a week-long creative writing course at The Hurst in Shropshire. The Award is in memory of tutor Kevin Jackson, whose impact on those he taught was often life-changing. One of his happiest times was tutoring creative writing for a group of state school students at The Hurst in 2011.

Following Kevin’s passing in 2021, the Kevin Jackson Award was established in his name to bring a group of state school children to Arvon. The initial funding came from his estate and other donations, especially from Claire Preston, to whom Arvon is deeply grateful. The Award significantly contributed to the costs of tutoring, accommodation, travel and much more for a group of young writers in 2022, who variously described their residential week as “amazing”, “joyful”, and “the best week of our lives”.

The aim is to continue the Kevin Jackson Award for future generations. For this, we need your help.

Join us by making a donation, and we’ll keep you updated on the young people who will benefit from your generosity.

You can donate to The Kevin Jackson Award by credit or debit card, using the form below:






Through the UK Government’s Gift Aid scheme, Arvon can claim an additional 25p for every £1 you donate. So if you are a UK taxpayer, you can increase the value of your donations to us by 25%, at no extra cost to yourself. Simply fill in your details below and tick the box to confirm your taxpayer status.


We will use the details provided to update your record and to process your donations to us. Please note: Arvon can only claim Gift Aid if you provide your full first name, surname and home address.

UK Address




I want to Gift Aid my donation and any donations I make in the future or have made in the past 4 years to Arvon.

I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any difference:

Please notify  Arvon if you: 

 – want to cancel this declaration
 – want to change your name or home address
 – no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains


If you pay Income Tax at the higher or additional rate and want to receive the additional tax relief due to you, you must include all your Gift Aid donations on your Self-Assessment tax return or ask HM Revenue and Customs to adjust your tax code.



Contact Information