Olympic Star Joins Minister To Make A Big Splash

Olympic gold medallist Ian Thorpe joined the Sports and Olympics Minister Hugh Robertson last week at the House of Commons to launch the Big Splash. The five-time Olympic champion presented awards to members of the public who have performed inspirational feats in swimming, ranging from heroic life-savers to those who learned to swim against the odds. The event was hosted by Blue Peter’s Andy Akinwolere, who is overcoming his own fear of water to take part in a Blue Peter challenge, and is also being backed by celebrities including Gary Lineker, Graham Norton, Matt Baker and Gabby Logan. The Big Splash has been designed by British Swimming and the BBC to inspire the UK to swim in the build-up to the 2012 Olympics.

New Minister For Employment And Learning Welcomed

The Chairman of the British Medical Association’s student committee in Northern Ireland has welcomed the appointment of the new Minister For Employment And Learning. 

Chairman Neil Cunningham said: “We welcome the appointment of Dr Stephen Farry as Minister for Employment and Learning. Northern Ireland medical students would urge Minister Farry to look, as a matter of urgency, the debt crisis facing all students should tuition fees rise. The next generation of doctors should be trained according to their ability to become the best doctor, not their ability to pay.” He added: “Acquiring high levels of debt will undoubtedly act as a deterrent to studying medicine and there has to be a better way of meeting the shortfall in higher education funding than penalising our future workforce. Northern Ireland leads the rest of the UK in the proportion of those from lower socio-economic backgrounds who enter university; however we are concerned that widening access to medicine in particular will fail, if the debt implications of studying to become a doctor are not addressed.” The Minister concluded: “BMA and its student members would like to work constructively with Minister Farry to ensure that Northern Ireland trains and retains the best doctors for its health service."

Boy Dies In Scrambler Bike Accident

A 12-year-old boy has died in north Belfast after falling off a scrambler motorbike. It is believed the boy was a pillion passenger. He was injured around 9pm last night in the Ballysillan area but later died in hospital.

(BMcN/GK)