The National Certificate has been awarded to 103 candidates who sat the NCE earlier this year – a pass rate of 43 per cent.

Just under half the 239 candidates entered for the exam have qualified as journalists after sitting papers at 14 centres across the country in October.

Three awards were also handed out to the candidates who produced the best speech, newspaper practice and news interview papers. They each received £250.

Mario Cacciottolo from the Derby Evening Telegraph won the Society of Editors’ Award for the best news interview.

Gareth Palmer from the Hertfordshire Mercury won the Esso Award for the best report of a speech and Sarah Challands of the Stockport Express took the Ted Bottomley Award for her newspaper practice skills.

Annual awards have also been handed out to the best candidates this year.

The Pamela Meyrick Memorial Award for the most promising trainee from the north of England and North Wales was given to Anne Arnold from the Stockport Express, who also gained her NCE in the spring. She received £125.

And the Johnston Press Award for the best NCE performance by a candidate trained at an accredited college or university in the Southern region went to Louise Acford from the Worthing Herald.

The winner of the Eric Dobson Memorial Award for the highest scoring candidate from a newspaper from Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, Durham and Cleveland, will be announced at a later date.

The National Certificate was awarded to the following, listed under the centre at which they sat the examination:

BOURNEMOUTH UNIVERSITY

Richard Andrews, Chichester Observer
Kirsty Chamberland, Worthing Herald
Paula Fentiman, Hastings & St Leonards Observer
Ross Findon, Isle of Wight County Press
Fiona Ford, News Extra, Winchester
Richard Garfield, Basingstoke Gazette
Sally Gleeson, Petersfield Post
Helen Husbands, Chichester Observer
Elizabeth Roberts, Basingstoke Gazette
David Shuttleworth, The Somerset County Gazette
Sarah Thompson, Bridport News

CORNWALL COLLEGE CAMBORNE

Steven Blaakman, Express & Echo, Exeter
Martin Downer, Mid Devon Gazette
Samuel Marsden, Western Morning News
Sarah Pounds, Express & Echo, Exeter
Joseph Taylor, Freelance

DARLINGTON COLLEGE

Andrew Doyle, Pontypool Free Press
Leanne English, News Guardian
Gary Foster, Shields Gazette
Richard Harris, Whitby Gazette
Graeme Hetherington, Morpeth Herald
Gareth Llewellyn, South Wales Argus
Gareth Phillips, South Wales Argus
Cora Purnell, Hartlepool Mail
David Sedgwick, News Guardian
Angela Taggart, Shields Gazette
Kate Turley, Scarborough Evening News

EAST SURREY COLLEGE

Neale Adams, Freelance
Adam Beardsmore, Surrey Advertiser
Alison Chapman, Kentish Gazette
Rachel Grant, East Kent Mercury
Sara Howlett, Kent & Sussex Courier
Julia Hunt, Surrey Advertiser
Rudolf Richter, Kent Messenger

GLOUCESTER, TP TRAINING

Noel Davies, Pontypool Free Press
Christian Dezelu, South Wales Evening Post
Matthew Jenkins, South Wales Evening Post
David Lewins, Worcester Evening News
James Watson, Swindon Evening Advertiser

HARROW TEACHERS’ CENTRE

Leigh Collins, Hendon Times Group
Rebecca Johnson, Slough Observer
Samantha Simpson, Oxford Mail
Joseph Slade, Buck Free Press

IN OFFICE

Daniel Bentley-Gouldstone, Derby Evening Telegraph
Sarah Gomme, Bucks Herald
Jeff Reines, The News, Portsmouth
Thomas Shaw, Surrey Herald

LATTON BUSH CENTRE

Karen Armstrong, Waltham Forest Guardian
Duncan Bradley, Bury Free Press
Laura Holland, Evening Echo Newspapers, Basildon
Clayton Johnson, Barking & Dagenham Post
Sally Lowe, North London Newspapers
Charlotte Potter, Chelmsford Weekly News
Sarah Tregoning, The Comet, Hitchin
Naomi Wright, Waltham Forest Guardian

LEICESTER, DE MONTFORT UNIVERSITY

David Brennan, Buckingham & Winslow Advertiser Group
Mario Cacciottolo, Derby Evening Telegraph
James Hall, Harborough Mail
Robert Jerram, Lincolnshire Free Press
Simon McGee, Nottingham Evening Post
Amy Olive, The Daventry Express
Alice Ryan, Melton Times
Amelia Wells, Lynn News

LIVERPOOL COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Sarah Challands, Stockport Express Advertiser
Clare Cook, Lancashire Evening Telegraph
Lisa Cooper, Stockport Express Advertiser
Simon Haworth, Lancashire Evening Telegraph
Greg Lambert, The Visitor

PMA, LONDON

Louise Acford, Worthing Herald
Paul Bishop, East Grinstead Gazette
Emily Bridges, Worthing Herald
Lucy Brincombe, News Shopper
Simeon Brody, Surrey Comet
Caroline Dutton, Surrey Comet
Jamie Hailstone, Worthing Herald
Cristian Marcucci, Luton Herald & Post
Gavin McGregor, Wandsworth Borough News
Toby Nation, News Shopper, Orpington

SCOTLAND, STRATHCLYDE UNIVERSITY

Alastair McRoberts, Dunfermline Press
Kirsty Paterson, Falkirk Herald
Scott Reid, Helensburgh Advertiser

SHEFFIELD COLLEGE

Alison Barton, Bury Times
Ian Briggs, Telegraph & Argus
Simon Bristow, Hull Daily Mail
Jennifer Carroll, Messenger Newspapers, Sale
David Clensy, Hull Daily Mail
Emily Davies, Ilkeston Advertiser
Jayne Elliott, The Louth Leader
David Ferguson, Henley Standard
Matthew Halfpenny, Worksop Guardian
Nadeem Hanif, Doncaster Free Press
Steven Kirman, Lincolnshire Echo
Nicola Lambert, Barnsley Chronicle
Deborah Leigh, Halifax Evening Courier
Cally Reynolds, Gainsborough Standard
Karen Spibey, Bury Times

WOLVERHAMPTON COLLEGE

Dianne Bourne, The Sentinel
Hannah Crush, The Sentinel
Elizabeth Hazelton, Halesowen News
Tamzin Hindmarch, The Sentinel
Vivien Kandel, Northwich Guardian
Andrew Kerr, Lichfield Mercury
Joby Mullens, Worcester Evening News

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