Rotary Round-up

Nathan Brett came along to one of Sudbury Rotary’s lunch time meetings in late October to report on his week at Grafham Water as part of the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards. RYLA offers many outdoor activities and challenges and also helps create leadership and other skills in young people. Nathan said that his objectives had been to improve his social skills, his confidence, presentation and leadership skills and also to enjoy himself and make new friends. It was clear from his enthusiasm about the activities that he had certainly gained a great deal from the RYLA training. He took part in water sports, including sailing, kayaking, canoeing, heard presentations from guest speakers, had to work with others to design a business, making decisions on sales figures, marketing and management, as well as how to make presentations himself, and working co-operatively with other young people on the course to meet set challenges, especially on the night hike and other initiatives. Nathan said that he had achieved each of his objectives and thanked the Club for sponsoring him to take part in the RYLA course, from which he had learned so much and which he believed would help in his search for a future career.

Nathan is pictured receiving his Award Certificate from Rotary Chairman, Mike Killoran, with Jenny Beckham who masterminds the RYLA process for the Club.

The search now begins for the 2023 RYLA candidate to be sponsored by the Sudbury Club. If you know of a young person, aged between 18 and 26 on the 1 September 2023, who would benefit from a week’s character- and team-building experiences at the Grafham Water Centre in Cambridgeshire, please do leave a message on the Club’s answerphone (07341 290415) so that they can be considered for our support.

Activities during November include a former Rotary Scholar visiting from New Zealand, Lee Fowler, who will be up-dating members on his career (on 14th) and on the 21st, with the intriguing title of “Fifty years in the Lefthand seat”, members will hear tales of rally driving from Liz Jordan and Stanley Graham.

It is now all stations go for this year’s Christmas Tree Festival, which will be open from 2nd to 7th December in St Gregory’s Church, Sudbury. An invitation for groups to take part is included in this month’s magazine. Anyone wishing to book a tree is encouraged to apply quickly, as space will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. This magical event brings in many hundreds of visitors and raises funds for Sudbury Rotary’s chosen local charities.

Sudbury Rotary meets at Newton Green Golf Club on the first three Mondays of each month - with an optional lunch for those who wish to eat there. Visitors will always be welcome, but please do telephone 07341 290415 to let us know you will be coming along.

Rotarian Lesley Ford-Platt