THE West Belfast Partnership Board are celebrating 27 years of the Aisling Education Bursaries.
The Aisling Education Bursaries were launched 26 years ago in March 2000 by the Andersonstown News and West Belfast Partnership and its purpose was to provide financial support to students from disadvantaged or challenging backgrounds in 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.
The idea of the Aisling Education Bursaries was ingenious in its simplicity: Local businesses would make a donation to the Bursary Fund and an independent panel would allocate bursaries of £1,000 or £500 to students. Every penny of the funds raised went and continues to go directly to the students.
Since its launch, 1,640 students from West Belfast of all ages have benefitted from donations amounting to an incredible £1,168,500.
Managed and delivered by West Belfast Partnership Board, the Aisling Education Bursaries are a unique education scheme for students from West Belfast and the Shankill, which highlight the importance that the business community attaches to education in developing 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.
In 2025, £124,000 was raised to award bursaries to 174 students.
On Wednesday morning, this year's bursaries was launched at a sponsor breakfast held in 26 West in the Kennedy Centre.
Jim Donnelly, Chair of the West Belfast Partnership Board welcomed over 40 sponsors, who have supported the Aisling Education Bursaries for many years and thanked them for their continued support.
Speaking at the launch, Lord Mayor Rois-Máire Donnelly said: “I am delighted to be here today.
"The Aisling Education Bursaries are quite incredible, with sponsors donated over one million pounds to support 1,640 students over the last 26 years.
"Over the years, the Aisling Education Bursaries have supported students who are going to study vocational courses, Degrees such as Law, Engineering and Teaching, right up to Masters and PhD level. The bursaries showcase the fantastic community in West Belfast.”
West Belfast MP Paul Maskey said: “Every year the Aisling Education Bursaries continue to grow and that is because of the sponsors who donate so generously and the hard work of West Belfast Partnership Board.
"This year we’re celebrating 27 years of the Aisling Education Bursaries, which give students from West Belfast £500 or £1,000 to help them defray the cost of their education. Thank you to the sponsors who make this possible.”
Angie Mervyn, Education Manager in West Belfast Partnership Board, added: “The donations are not only an incredible gesture of generosity, of giving back and sharing from businesses and local people, but also a vote of confidence in the recipients of the bursaries and a real investment in our community, one family, one person at a time.”
The Aisling Education Bursary on-line applications are open and have been extended to close on Friday, July 10.
You can apply on the West Belfast Partnership Board website here.
