“Everything that is done in the world is done by hope”
Martin Luther
Supporting Young People
BUDDING YOUNG WRITERS REAP THEIR REWARDS
Rotary has long been a supporter and helper of young people and organises competitions in the UK to help them achieve success in many skills.
The Rotary club of Woking District has long supported this programme particularly in the areas of Youth speaks (public speaking) and Young musician.
During this last Rotary year Youth programme has been badly hit by the pandemic and the lockdowns. All the Youth competitions which involve contact have not been run. The main one affecting the Rotary club of Woking District was the cancellation of Youth Speaks where we have achieved a lot of success over the years.
So with only limited competitions to choose from, the club decided to try Young Writer.
Four young writers were recognised recently by local Rotarians for their outstanding efforts in a national Rotary writing competition for school age children.
In the Primary category Year 6 student Imogen Millard-Evans from Thursley emerged as the winner. The competition theme was “environment” and she wrote a thoughtful piece called “Unloved Things” about the necessary role of insects in our world, and what happens when things move out of balance.
At Secondary level there were three winners, who are all students in the lower school at Gordon’s. Kate Brazendal was the overall winner, with Isabel Kypie and Luke Brennan in the runner up positions. All three wrote poems with a strong environmental theme.
The experienced judging panel consisted of retired classics teacher Caroline Bowden and Rotarians Ray Alder and Peter Kleyn, and was chaired by competition organiser Rotarian Mike Head. The awards, which included vouchers as well as certificates, were presented at recent meetings of Woking District Rotary, in front of all the club’s members.
Rotary has long been a supporter and helper of young people and organises competitions in the UK to help them achieve success in many skills. Woking District Rotary club has long supported this programme particularly in the areas of Youth Speaks (public speaking) and Young Musician.
Said Mike Head: “The competition called for entrants to show imagination and creativity, along with a very good standard of vocabulary. I’m delighted to say off four of them demonstrated all of these requirements admirably.
Assisting Young People in many ways
Woking District Rotary funds, organises and supports many types of activities to encourage and develop young people in Woking.
Let's Read Ltd helps to improve the literacy of young people in the Woking area in two main ways. By giving free books to the pupils at 13 of the schools in Woking. Over the past 12 years they have given over 35,000 books. Pupils receive a book of their choice each term and presently they are distributing nearly a thousand books a term.
Let's Read also provides one-to-one tuition at four of Woking's primary schools, helping about sixty pupils each year, whose schools see them as being behind in their reading skill
We provided funds to Satro a charity involved with the education of young people in science, technology, business practice and associated skills. Here a couple of youngsters are learning plumbing skills.
‘Youth Speaks’, is a Rotary debating competition, which we run at both at senior and junior level. Woking District Rotary have organised the first round of the Youth Speaks competition in Woking for many years.
Gasp, is another very worthwhile charity we decided to support. It is an accredited AQA and Laser course in basic motor mechanics and practical engineering skills for 14 to 19 year olds, providing a hands-on specialist and personalised alternative learning environment. Courses are staffed by mechanics with a maximum of six young people per project.
Our club has been involved for many years with a full on annual Rotary activity day called 'Kids Out' to provide a fun day out to challenged young people with physical or other issues. The day is enjoyed by one and all.
