Family, friends and fellow students gathered at Accrington Town Hall to celebrate the success of Accrington and Rossendale College graduates at the annual Higher Education Awards ceremony.

Students donned cap and gown for a night of celebration, receiving their awards to great applause.

Degrees, diplomas and certificates were awarded for graduates from higher education programmes, and special recognition was given to students for outstanding achievement in courses ranging from alcohol and substance misuse work, to music production and construction.

The annual ceremony was also attended by guest of honour Professor Nigel Weatherill, vice chancellor at Liverpool John Moores University.

Accrington and Rossendale College Higher Education Awards ceremony 2017.

Charlotte Scheffmann, assistant principal of higher education and business development at the college, said: “We have had another fantastic year with students doing some amazing things in the year or years they have spent with us.

"In spite of a challenging job market and context, students have been able to move from voluntary through to paid work in many of our programme areas.

“We are so proud of all of our graduates and wish them all the very best in the future.

"I would also like to applaud our higher education staff who have tirelessly delivered and supported our students through their studies.

"Many of them are dual professionals and are immensely talented.”

Sarah Newell was named the winner of the D’Angelo Memorial Award at last week’s ceremony and said she was ‘very honoured’ to receive it.