Youth

Westhill Rotary Club places young people at the heart of its community service, supporting a wide range of youth projects designed to inspire confidence, leadership and opportunity.

Through close links with local schools and youth groups in Westhill and the surrounding area, the club promotes initiatives that encourage personal development and achievement. These include sponsoring students to take part in Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), public speaking competitions, quizzes and technology challenges that help young people build communication skills and practical experience.

At its core, Westhill Rotary’s youth work reflects the wider mission of Rotary International — to provide service, promote integrity and advance goodwill and peace around the world. By investing in young people today, Westhill Rotary is helping to build confident, capable leaders for tomorrow.

It has been another busy and rewarding year for the Youth Committee, centered on nurturing the talents and confidence of local students. We successfully delivered several creative and academic competitions, including the Young Artist and Young Photographer events. A particular highlight was our work at Skene Primary, where we provided workshops and judging for the inaugural Bill Troup Storytelling Trophy, alongside judging the Dunecht Doric Competition and supporting an inter-school Maths Challenge.

Our focus on leadership and educational support remains a top priority. We facilitated multiple quiz heats for P4-P7 students and continued our mentorship of the Rotakids at Crombie Primary. We are also pleased to announce that two local boys have been selected to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) camp following a successful interview process. Additionally, the committee has been active in advising schools on available grants for specialist books to enhance local literacy resources.

Fundraising and community engagement have been vital in supporting these initiatives. Our ongoing Bric-a-Brac sales at markets and car boots remain highly successful thanks to the steady stream of donations from Rotarians. This was complemented by a wonderful Fellowship Meal and our collaborative support for the International Committee’s Bike Ride. While the Young Musician competition was unable to go ahead this year, the breadth of our other activities continues to provide a strong platform for the youth of Westhill.