THE West Belfast Partnership Board is celebrating 25 years of the Aisling Bursary Awards.
On Monday evening, sponsors, recipients and their friends and family gathered at St Mary’s University College for this year's ceremony.
The bursaries were first established in 2000 to provide financial support to students from West Belfast to help make their dreams of taking up further and higher education or training a reality and to fulfil their life ambitions for securing a fulfilling career.
Mairtin O'Muilleoir presents the Belfast Media Bursary to recipient John McCann 
The Aisling Bursaries also highlight the importance that the business community attaches to the development of education and training in West Belfast.
The initiative is a community and private sector partnership through which businesses, community enterprises, families and individuals contribute to the Aisling Education Bursary fund and make a firm commitment to developing the skills of the local community.
Year on year, individuals, local families, businesses and international organisations contribute bursaries to support students and help them defray the costs of education and training.
This year, 103 sponsors donated an incredible £138,500 to 217 local people to enable them to begin or continue their education and training.
Since the Aisling Bursaries began in 2000, 1,466 people have benefitted from an incredible £1,044,500 in sponsorship.
Jim Donnelly, Chair of West Belfast Partnership Board said: “This year as we celebrate 25 years, we are delighted that we have reached over £1m in sponsorship and we couldn’t have done this without the support of our sponsors, who year on year invest in our local people.
"Our sponsors have shown not only a fantastic gesture of generosity, but also a vote of confidence in the recipients of the bursaries and a real investment in our West Belfast community.
"Thanks to our sponsors, our judging panel and congratulations to the 217 recipients – we wish you all the very best in your studies."
The West Belfast Partnership Board was delighted to welcome the First Minister Michelle O’Neill as keynote speaker.
“The Aisling Education Bursaries reflect the power of education and strength of community, empowering people to reach their full potential and planting the seeds for a bright, more equitable future," she said.
“Well done to the West Belfast Partnership Board for their hard work and dedication over the past 25 years and I wish every success to everyone who has received this award.”
Economy Minister Conor Murphy MLA added: “The Aisling Education Bursaries reflect the best values of the community. Many people have contributed to this Bursary and I’m delighted that this year my Department has also made a donation to the fund.
"The Bursaries represent an investment in the future and I wish all of the recipients every success in their forthcoming studies and future careers.”
Two past recipients, Terry Quinn and Alison McCrudden told the audience of how receiving an Aisling Education Bursary had helped them to return to education.
“I was one of the first people to receive an Aisling Bursary," explained Alison.
"Receiving my Aisling Bursary said to me that someone believed in me and I felt incredibly supported to return to education, so much so that Brassneck have been sponsoring the Aisling Bursaries for the last eight years!”
