Tar Anall awards ceremony

Sue Ramsey was Santy at the Tar Anall party

Tar Anall held its annual presentation of certificates at an Open Day on Thursday 4 December at its premises in the Conway Mill Complex in West Belfast.

Among the achievements and qualifications recognised were those gained by young people from its youth development project and up to a dozen women in the over 50s group in courses run by Tar Anall's Training and Development Unit.

Guest speaker at the awards ceremony was the newly elected Sinn Féin MLA for West Belfast, Michael Ferguson, who said that the high turnout of those receiving certificates was a testimony to the success of Tar Anall and the continuing need for its services.

Ferguson praised the project for its support for the families of republican ex-prisoners through confidence building, training and education courses. It also runs a counselling and stress management service.

Tar Anall was also celebrating the first year of its new youth development project.

Carúil Ní Chulain, director of Tar Anall, emphasised the continuing need for support work to be done with former republican prisoners and called on republican ex-prisoners and their family members to avail of the services available.