Rotary Youth Leadership Awards
How Rossendale Rotary provides a self-development opportunity for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is an annual training programme for young leaders and potential leaders, helping them develop the skills needed to be a leader in their community, career, and everyday life. The week-long course is held at an outdoor centre near Grange-over-Sands. Students between 15-17 are put forward by their school, and are interviewed by a small team of Rotarians. Rossendale Rotary usually sponsors one local student who has leadership potential, but whose home circumstances cannot provide such opportunities. In 2023 the standard of entrants was so high that two students have been selected, one from Alder Grange and one from Haslingden High School.
The course costs £640 per person, and a Rossendale Rotary member very kindly provides £200 to each student to buy the necessary outdoor equipment. Every student who has previously been on the course has said how enjoyable and beneficial it has been, so we are delighted to be able to provide this opportunity to two young people, rather than one.
