A Barking and Dagenham College student has won a £1,500 bursary to go to the University of East London.

Kelsey Connor, from Dagenham, was chosen by the Helena Kennedy Foundation after being put forward by her tutors.

From September, she will begin a foundation degree in animation, becoming the first of her family to go on to degree-level education.

Competition for the bursary is tough – the foundation, based at the university, receives 400 applications every year of which 100 are successful.

Kelsey said: “To be chosen out of so many applicants is great, I couldn’t believe it when I found out.

“This bursary award will really take the pressure off me and allow me to focus on my studies.”