RYLA Report 26th-28th April 2024

This year Bexhill Rotary Club sent four students from St Richards Catholic College to the RYLA weekend at Bowles Activity Centre near Tunbridge Wells. 

RYLA stands for Rotary Youth Leaders Award and this project is aimed at providing young people the opportunity to join together to face a number of challenges and team building activities to devlop their personal and social skills.

The four students were Henry Kicinski-Mason, Claudia McGinnes, Patricia Urbutiene and Mae Hadfield, all four were able to attand the follow up presentation at our club business meeting on 2nd July. 

The young people were able to tell us about the wide range of activities they undertook at the Bowles Activity centre including Dry Slope Tobogganing, Rock Climbing, High Wire activities, Boatbuilding Projects, Team challenges. Despite the extremely wet weather the young people all reported that the whole weekend was an uplifting and rewarding experience.

Often the young people were organised into teams where they didn't know anyone else in their group and set challenges which would force them into working together to achieve the goal. Tasks such as carying a tray of plastic cups full of water across a high wire obstacle course involved personal courage and teamwork. 

Social activities were aranged to unwind at the end of the day but always with a twist or challenge, blindfold card games being a highlight.

The weekend didn't just test outdoor skills, for one task teams were put together and asked to make a fifteen minute presentation on one of the Rotary International Health enterprises our students were in teams that presented on End Polio and Shelter Boxes. 

Meda Radu, who organised this year's RYLA was extremely happy with the feedback from the students and thanked the club for their generous support of this Youth Project.