Last updated 19:31, Thursday, 27 November 2008

TEN Cockermouth School students who were given grants to go on educational trips abroad have given presentations about how the money was spent.

Euro students: Cockermouth School sixth formers who received grants from the Europe Prize Scholarship Fund, which allows them to visit and explore schools and culture in European countries, with headteacher Stuart Reeves, centre left, and retired town clerk David Bertram, centre right, who was instrumental in setting up the fund

The youngsters received the bursaries from the Europe Prize Scholarship Fund, which was set up in 2000 by Cockermouth Town Council, after it won the Europe Prize.

In February, formal presentations were made from 24 students, with five pairs being chosen as successful candidates by the fund committee.

The students visited Florence, Rome, Prague and Berlin during the summer.

Presentations about their trips were made by them at a meeting of the committee on Tuesday.

David Bertram, former secretary of the twinning committee, was at the school to oversee the presentations.

He said: “All the students have learnt a lot from these trips not only educationally but also how to be independent and to budget their money.

“For many of them it is the first time they have travelled by themselves and we appreciate all the hard work that the students have put in to these trips.

“They are a credit to the school.”

Headteacher Stuart Reeves along with the students also made a presentation to Mr Bertram, who has now retired, for his work over the years.

Head girl Holly Goodfellow said: “We want to say a huge thank you to Dave for keeping this fund running and for all the help he has given to all the students who have benefited from the fund over the last eight years.”