Other News In Brief

CAFRE Student Wins Ireland Young Horticulturist Of The Year Award

CAFRE student Francis Mulholland has won the Ireland Young Horticulturist of the Year award and a place in the grand final in England this weekend.

The Toomebridge student will now go forward to battle it out with seven other regional winners at the final for the Chartered Institute of Horticulture's Young Horticulturist of the Year.

Francis, who is in his first year of study for a Foundation Degree in Horticulture, had to answer 45 questions from a variety of subject areas including plant identification and pest and disease recognition in the regional final. If he wins the grand final, he will receive the £2,500 Percy Thrower Travel Bursary.

He said: "I'm really looking forward to the final and have been studying hard for it. I'm so pleased to get this far but it would be fantastic if I won the final as the bursary would allow me to travel anywhere in the world to further my horticulture knowledge."

Call For People In East Belfast To Vote Alliance

Alliance Leader David Ford has said people in East Belfast have the chance to make history by continuing to take the constituency forward with Naomi Long, instead of allowing it to go back with the DUP.

Mr Ford said the clear momentum was with Alliance candidate Mrs Long, as more and more people declared they would be backing her on election day.

He said: "No other candidate has the experience Naomi has, whether in Council, the Assembly or excellently serving the people of East Belfast for the past five years as a successful MP. The DUP may have believed they had the constituency carved up with the Robinson Pact but the sheer number of people indicating they will be voting for Naomi means the momentum is with her."

Belfast Pupils To Take Part In Teenage Kicks

Pupils in Belfast are enjoying 'Teenage Kicks' 10 years after the programme was first introduced by Belfast City Council to offer an alternative to school sports and they are celebrating the tenth anniversary with a showcase in Ulster Hall.

Up to 160 young people from schools including Belfast Royal Academy, De La Salle, Belmont PS, Harberton and Glenveagh schools are taking part in this year's event on Thursday, 21 May.

'Teenage Kicks' was introduced as part of Belfast City Council's strategy to encourage young people to be more active. It recognises that young people sometimes turn away from traditional school sports in their teenage years and aimed to answer that problem by providing a fun activity that would encourage them to remain active.

(CD/JP)