A FOUNDATION has been launched in memory of a respected cameraman from Herefordshire who was killed when working on a TV drama.

Mark Milsome died last November while filming a car stunt in Ghana for BBC2 drama Black Earth Rising, aged 54.

To mark the first anniversary of his death, family and colleagues have launched the Mark Milsome Foundation to help young people access opportunities in the film industry.

His wife Andra Milsome explained: “I wanted to create a legacy for Mark and we knew it had to be about mentorship.”

She paid tribute to Mark as someone who ‘carved his own path’, by working his way up from making the tea to being a respected cinematographer who worked on some of the UK’s biggest films.

Mark, whose work included Game of Thrones, lived in Weobley and Hay with his wife Andra and daughter Alice. He fell in love with the county after filming Dandelion Dead and the couple decided to raise their daughter here, Andra explained.

Andra said: “He always found it relaxing, he loved walking on the Bluff.”

The Foundation has so far announced the creation of one scholarship in collaboration with the Guild of British Technicians and will soon announce a second.

It will also offer mentoring and work experience to young people who might otherwise struggle to access the industry.

Mark's friend and colleague Harry Bowers, who first met Mark while filming in the county, said: "Mark's death last year caused an overwhelming response that rippled through the film industry. The business had lost someone very special and unique. It was clear that there was an opportunity to create legacy for Mark, whilst also not letting his tragic story be forgotten.

"It seemed obvious to follow the example set by him in his nurturing and mentorship of others during his career, and help young people start their careers in the film industry.

Thousands of people in the film community, including actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Eddie Redmayne, will also wear black t-shirts in memory of Mark for Black-T-Week to mark the anniversary of Mark’s death.

Kirk Jones, chair of the Foundation, added: “The level of support for the Mark Milsome Foundation and for Black-T-Week is an indication of the loss still being felt within that family a year after Mark’s death.”