by Gráinne Connolly
'Buddy up' a shared education project between Holy Cross and Edenderry Nursery Schools in North Belfast is celebrating it's 20th anniversary this week.
A special event is taking place in Girdwood Community hub this morning to mark it's success.
The scheme was born after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement to try and tackle problems with sectarianism and division in the Shankill and Ardoyne communities.
Not only does the project unite children, it involves the wider family circle coming together to help facilitate learning days and activities for the inter-school buddy scheme.
This year, the project was formally recognised by the United Nations Alliance of Civilisations and BMW Group through their Intercultural Innovation Award and was the first group from Northern Ireland to ever receive this honour.
It was also awarded the Spirit of Northern Ireland Award for exceptional contribution to education.
Earlier, the nursery children of the two schools came together to sing songs before a presentation highlighting some of the exceptional achievements of the Buddy Up! programme.
The event was also compered by comedian and Integrated Education Fund ambassador, Tim McGarry.
Unions ‘prepared to listen’ to health ministers’ two-step pay increase proposal
Exhibition marks anniversary of studio space for artists in Northern Ireland
Four arrested after protests during Clinton visit to Queen’s University
Family of man shot dead in Londonderry secure financial settlement from MoD
Stormont department will not be prosecuted over Noah Donohoe death, court told