Young People Claim £1,000 Blair Mayne Bursary Awards

Charlotte Eadie, Lauren Caughey, Warren Bishop and Max Mahaffy each received a £1,000 bursary at Ards and North Down Borough Council's Blair Mayne Bursary Awards ceremony earlier this month. The awards will help them with their respective endeavours in sport, academic study and adventure training.

The Bursary Awards were originally created in 1997 after a public appeal to raise funds for commissioning a bronze memorial statue of Colonel Mayne. Monies raised exceeded the amount required for the statue, which was subsequently installed in Newtownards' Conway Square, so the Council opted to use the surplus funds to establish the Blair Mayne Bursary.

The Deputy Mayor of Ards and North Down, Councillor Vicky Moore, said:  

"The calibre of applications is always exceedingly high so congratulations must go to this year's four very worthy recipients. Charlotte Eadie, Lauren Caughey, Warren Bishop and Max Mahaffy have excelled themselves and I wish them every success with their various projects and future aspirations."

Winner (Sport): Charlotte Eadie

Newtownards' Charlotte Eadie is 19-years-old and studying for a BSc Hons in Sports and Exercise Sciences at Ulster University. She is a sailor based from Donaghadee Sailing Club and Ballyholme Yacht Club and is on the 'Olympic Pathway' with Irish Sailing for Los Angeles 2028. The Olympic Pathway requires Charlotte to go to Dublin at least three days a week, putting added pressure on her studies. She shows a huge amount of commitment to her sport while balancing her academic studies and her lifelong dream.

Winner (Academic Study): Lauren Caughey

Killinchy's Lauren Caughey is 22-years-old and is currently studying Medicine at Queen's University Belfast. In 2014, when she was just 10, Lauren was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of pancreatic neuroendocrine cancer. After several misdiagnosis, she was eventually moved to the Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children where she met Dr Andras Szabo who diagnosed the illness. She was referred to Birmingham Children's Hospital to see a specialist and underwent major abdominal surgery which left her in remission. Ultimately, it was Dr Szabo who inspired Lauren and she decided she wanted to study medicine with the ultimate aim of helping and supporting others who may find themselves in the same position that she once was.

Winner (Adventure Training): Warren Bishop 

Bangor's Warren Bishop is 15-years-old and a participant of the 2026 Camps International Cambodia Schools expedition. He will spend 18 days in Cambodia where he will undergo training to complete the PADI open water Scuba qualification. During the expedition, he will work in the local community, helping to build schools and community centres, and will also participate in environmental projects such as planting saplings to help reforestation of the native rain forest.

Warren is busy raising money to cover the £4,650 cost of the expedition. He has run stalls at the Regent House School Christmas Fair, sold unused items, carried out errands for families and friends, and has approached local business for financial help by advertising their companies on his expedition T-shirt.

Winner (Disability Empowerment Award): Max Mahaffy

Newtownards' Max Mahaffy is 16-years-old and recently won the Teen Novice Featherweight title at the Akuma Fighting Championships in County Antrim. Diagnosed with autism at the age of 4, he has a perfect novice record of six wins, zero losses, and is now ready to step up to the amateur ranks for the first time at the Wrath Combat Champions event in Belfast later this month. He also contributes as a junior coach at Hybrid MMA in Newtownards, where he assists in classes for children, teens and adults.

Photo caption: Blair Mayne Bursary Winners 2025 - Charlotte Eadie, Warren Bishop, Max Mahaffy and Ian Caughey (Lauren Caughey's father) beside Blair Mayne statue