2 YMCA Foyer Residents attend Rotary Youth Leadership Award
Keith Jones, President of Cleethorpes Rotary Club who sponsored Harry and Natalie’s participation on the course, adds, “30 14-18 year olds, nominated by 13 Rotary Clubs enjoyed a RYLA course at The Rotary Centre, Castleton. During the four full days the participants took part in a number of team challenges and problem solving activities such as making the tallest free-standing structure possible out of straws and sticky tape, finding out more about inequalities between countries in a trading game, writing and performing their own entertainments for the group and learning map reading skills in order to take part in an auction to buy grid references which then had to be found! There were also presentations from two Rotary Peace Scholars, Fraser Hirst (his work on the rights of children in Somalia, Afghanistan and Liberia) and Peter Sephton (Rotary Sustainability Trust) plus walks in the Peak District and a visit to Treak Cliff Cavern.”
Harry commented on the weekend away, “I really enjoyed the RYLA weekend away, it gave me chance to socialise with other young people my age and with similar interests. We experienced some relaxing walks and beautiful scenery along with other more challenging walking routes. The RYLA program was useful to as it helped me become more aware of working as a team, this will help me with my army selection. I am very grateful for the support the rotary club and the YMCA have offered enabling me to go on it. The money spent was worth every moment. Thank you.”
“The experiences that Natalie and Harry have enjoyed on this training course,” explains Malcolm Smith, Deputy CEO at GCHR YMCA, “will be remembered by them for the rest of their lives. We’re delighted at the support that Cleethorpes Rotary Club have shown these two young people.”