Saskia Willis scoops prize for best magazine portfolio

"Broadsheet newspapers don't always get it right, tabloids often lead the way."

That was the message from broadcaster and children´s campaigner Esther Rantzen CBE as she presented Saskia Willis with a top prize at noSWeat graduation day last month.

Among the other prizewinners joining Saskia was Ewa Grzybek who won the Goodwill Award, donated by the Chartered Institute of Journalists which consisted of an all-expenses-paid visit to NATO, The European Parliament and S.H.A.P.E in Brussels.

Esther, who became a household name with her pioneering BBC consumer programme That´s Life! and who then went on to set up and front the child protection charity ChildLine in 1986, was the special guest at the twice yearly event.

She gave present and former noSWeaters, who packed out room 104 at noSWeat's central London premises, vital hints on how to make a difference in the world of journalism and broadcasting in the 21st century, revealing along the way that she would have liked to be a teacher if she hadn't become a journalist.

Rantzen then went on to burst the bubble that the "serious" press do better journalism than the more popular middle-market tabloids, where she started her career.

"Tabloids often lead the way," she stressed.

Prizes at the graduation evening, included an internship at a national newspaper, a cash prize for the best exam results and a special award for the best portfolio of coursework stories, all handed out by Esther.

Saskia Willis, pictured above, scooped best magazine portfolio, beating off stiff competition from the rest of her class all of whom handed in sheafs of excellent feature stories. Saskia's prize included a signed copy of one of Esther's book entitled "If not now, when?"

"We are absolutely knocked-out and honoured to have Esther as our guest. She will inspire and motivate our current students and graduates who are some of the most ambitious and highest-achieving in the country."

"She will show how good journalism can pave the way to actually providing a crucial service which was so sadly lacking in society, namely a way for children to report abuse and neglect in complete privacy and confidence."

For a full list of prize winners and categories see below.

For plenty more pictures go to our Facebook page, a link to which can be found at the bottom of our home page, and look at the "graduation day" album.

The centre hopes to hold a number of future events in a bid to raise money for video equipment which has been recently laid on for training purposes.

Head of journalism, Andrew Kelly, said: "The video course has proved highly popular and successful. Students have filmed and reported on top national stories such as the 2010 election and the formation of the coalition government, the blizzards which swamped the country and the capital earlier this year and the reaction  of the travelling public to the building of London´s new Cross Rail line which goes through Farringdon, our local tube station."

noSWeat has been running video training courses for over a year. Students get to shoot video, write commentary, interview on camera and edit their work on state-of-the-art equipment installed on computers in the college's two technology suites.

PRIZEWINNERS: One-month internship on a national newspaper: Abigail Foulkes, Mark Elliott, Rory Crew; Exam Excellence Award: Rebecca Almond (full-time), Katty Pearce (part-time); Shorthand Excellence Award: Emma Marvin; Course Director's Award: Federica Tedeschi; Best Portfolio: Saskia Willlia (magazine); Amy McLeod (newspaper).

  Pictured top Saskia Willis receiving her prize, right Rebecca Almond is handed her accolade by Esther and above l-r, Esther; Federica Tedeschi (winner of the course director's special prize) and founder and course director Stephen Ward.