Teenagers gain life skills thanks toRotary Youth Leadership Award

Chloe Upton, 15, and Eric Davis, 16 attended the course, which included team games, activities based on learning to trust others, communication and leadership, at a location near Rochester last year.

The teenagers were recently invited, along with Explorer Leader, Grant Docksey, to The Rotary Club of Senlac’s meeting on February 1, where they gave a presentation of their experience of the course and how they had benefitted.

Eric, who is at college studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics, says they both learned a great deal about themselves and others. “I built up so much confidence, learned how to trust others and how to communicate,” he said. “I lead a small team at college and I will be able to put this into practice there and in my future career.”

Chloe says she is hoping to become a teacher, adding: “The course has given me many skills which I can use in the future.”

Another requirement of the course was to research one of the Rotary supported charities, prepare and make a presentation. Chloe and Eric said they had vaguely heard of Rotary before the course but now realise the size of the organisation, its worldwide connections and the support it provides to communities across the world.

Rotarian Mike Styles congratulated the youngsters on their confident presentation in front of “quite a daunting audience!” www.senlacrotary.org.