The Lord Mayor, Councillor Tom Hartley, welcomed the 63 nominees to a special ceremony at Stormont on June 23.

Organised by Falls Youth Providers, the recipients of the seven awards were decided by a group of independent moderators.

Local MLA Fra McCann was also in attendance and MP Gerry Adams spoke during the ceremony.

Speaking to The CT before the ceremony, the Lord Mayor said: “To me this is an historic occasion, the youth from the Lower Falls are being met here by a Lord Mayor from the Falls and an MLA from the Falls.

“This event is all about celebrating the young people for all that they have achieved.

“Their achievements go against the stereotypical view of west Belfast and shows there is an enormous amount of good work being done.”

He added: “As Lord Mayor I get to be inspired everyday by different contributions made to Belfast life. This is certainly one of those occasions.”

The awards presented on the night were for sports, participation, training, education, health and well being, culture, citizenship and youth development.

“These awards showcase local talent,” said David McCombe, family support peer educator with Falls Youth Providers.

“This is a positive initiative at a time when a lot of the press coming from the Lower Falls is negative.”

Speaking after the awards Mr McCombe continued: “The ceremony was excellent. All the young people were delighted. It was great to see their enthusiasm and pride.

The winners of the seven awards received a Belfast crystal plaque. Everyone who was nominated received a certificate.