A SUCCESSFUL year was celebrated at Bury College when it held its annual meeting on Tuesday.

The college annual report was presented together with a review of progress and achievements.

Looking back over the 1997-98 academic year, principal Dr Helen Gilchrist said: "It was a year when very ambitious and demanding targets were set and met, and culminated in an outstanding inspection report which set us amongst the very best colleges in England.

"We have demonstrated that our students learn effectively and that they achieve excellent examination results and, as a result, progress in work, further or higher education."

She said the year had seen the college working to widen participation among all sections of the community and its new business development unit linked the college with increased numbers of businesses, resulting in more training for the workforce of Bury.

Dr Gilchrist added: "The year ended with achievement of a different sort: the approval of a major building project which makes a reality of our vision of a state of the art college town centre campus for the year 2000." Mr Geoff Hill, Bury College Corporation chairman, said: "The achievements of the college would not be possible without the vision, dedication and hard work of all the staff and of my fellow governors and I would like to express my thanks to all of them."

He said that despite ever increasing financial constraints, the college had continued to record a small surplus and had a strong cash position.

In fact, it had been recognised by the Further Education Funding Council as a top grade college for the management and control of its finances.

A total of 36 per cent of students entered further education, 31 per cent entered higher education and 17 per cent found employment.

During the year, nearly 3,300 students studied full-time at the college and while the majority were aged between 16 and 19, about 650 adults returned to learn on a wide range of courses.

There were a further 6,000 part-time students who studied once a week, on short intensive courses or who learnt in their work place.

This was in line with the college's aim of increasing the flexibility of opportunities to learn.

In a proud year for the college, it won the national Heist Marketing Award for Further Education, and the basic Skills Agency Kitemark was awarded to it in recognition of its quality provision in basic education for adults.

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