To mark the end of her service and create a legacy in her honour, the Council has established the Mrs Joan Christie CVO OBE Legacy Bursary Scheme which will support young people to Believe, Achieve and Succeed.
Mrs Christie has a particular interest in young people, music, gardening and community volunteering and this Legacy Bursary Scheme will ensure her support for our Borough, in particular our young people, continues beyond her term of office.
The Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Paul Michael paid tribute to Mrs Christie in his opening speech commenting; “We would like to thank Mrs Christie for her fantastic service as Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for the County of Antrim, and all that she has achieved in her 11 years in the role and to launch the fantastic legacy bursary scheme. As a Council we are always delighted to have her support for so much of what we do and the dedication she has shown to her duties has been second to none! The Mrs Joan Christie CVO.OBE Legacy Bursary Scheme, which will be available annually now and into the future will help support our young people and also ensure that Mrs Christie continues to support our Borough”
Amongst the invited guests at the launch were a host of volunteers, representatives from schools and representation from musical societies from across the Borough.
The line-up included a number of talented acts including the Home Spun Youth Theatre Group, Clover Watts and Katie Walker. A number of videos were also played throughout the evening created by the Special Schools in the Borough. Clifford Lowry from the Education Authority Music Service and Paul Dinsmore from Antrim Youth Information and Counselling Centre also highlighted the importance of volunteers in our Borough.
Mrs Christie commented; “I am deeply honoured that Antrim and Newtownabbey Council is creating these bursaries in my name. I look forward to meeting with the young people and seeing first-hand how these bursaries will help them achieve their full potential”
The Legacy Bursary scheme which opens in July is available across three categories which reflect the commitment Mrs Christie has for young people and her passion for music, volunteers, special education and gardening. There are eight bursaries of £1.000 each including;
• Two Bursaries for talented young musicians
• Two Bursaries for young volunteers and two bursaries for the groups the young volunteers belong to
• Two for schools promoting the education of children with learning and /or physical disabilities.
For more information on the Legacy Bursary scheme please contact T: 028 9034 000
E:
artsandcultureadmin@antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk
or W: antrimandnewtownabbey.gov.uk/grants
