Category Archives: Youth Opportunities Projects

Youth Exchange Host Families needed

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I have received a request for New Generations Exchanges from two students (22 year old brother and 23 year old sister) from Belgium for two months, February and March 2012. They are coming as part of their university course requirement to immerse themselves in another culture for two months. We have secured work experience in the Radisson group of hotels, although at this point I am not sure exactly which and where inLondon.
In exchange we have two London students ready to take up the opportunity to go to Belgium on the same programme but the family circumstances of neither of these students enables them to offer home hospitality. I am therefore looking for host families for each of the Belgian students separately and urgently.  Hosting could be for the whole two months or just one month, so I am looking for two, three or four host families. The students will need accommodation and food. They will be out in the working week but would appreciate being taken around a bit. They will be hosted by Rotary cubs and will attend meetings. No one will need a CRB check!

Any one of us who has hosted youth exchange students will tell you that it is a very rewarding experience. Please respond to this request as soon as possible to Di King

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Nicole’s Legacy – on BBC

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DGE Eve Conway-Ghazi has produced a programme called “Nicole’s Legacy” about the late Nicole Dryburgh, Rotary Young Citizen Award 2008 winner, who spoke at our District Conference in 2009.   It was transmitted on the BBC News Channel a number of times over the New Year Holiday and will be repeated next week-end on Sat 7th Jan at 02:30 and 05:30 and on Sun 8th Jan at 20:30.  It is also available on the BBC I-Player athttp://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b019760l/Nicoles_Legacy/

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ROTARY YOUNG CITIZEN AWARD WINNER LYDIA CROSS TO TAKE PART IN REMEMBRANCE DAY PARADE AT CENOTAPH IN LONDON

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Ten-year-old Lydia Cross, who had both her legs amputated at the age of two because of meningitis, has raised tens of thousands of pounds (with sponsored swim and runs, etc.) to help wounded servicemen, who’ve lost limbs in Afghanistan and Iraq – she says she wanted to help them because they have “leggies like her”.  In recognition, she received a Rotary Young Citizen Award (featured on BBC News) in 2010 after being nominated for the Award by her local Rotary Club in Braunton, Devon. See  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8618717.stm
Lydia has raised around £20,000 for Help for Heroes and has become the only child Patron.  She has taken part in a DVD to be shown in schools for HELP FOR HEROES.
Lydia started off the COMMANDO 999 CHALLENGE in her racing wheelchair (pictured below) last Saturday, when her father and 3 other Police Officers who are all Ex Royal Marines started off a walk/march from Exeter en route to London – with teams planning to reach the capital ahead of the Remembrance Day Parade on Sunday, 13th November.  
Lydia had to do this in her wheel chair because she had to have the bones trimmed in her legs 3 weeks ago and was unable to wear her prosthetic legs.

As a Rotary Young Citizen Award winner who has done so much to help wounded servicemen and raised so much money for the Royal British Legion and Help for Heroes, Rotary in London is honouring Lydia by inviting her to join them in their Rotary section of the Remembrance Day Parade in London on Sunday, 13th November, 2011 - and Lydia will go past The Cenotaph in Whitehall – hopefully wearing her new prosthetic legs or in her wheelchair pushed by her former marine father Tony Cross and wearing her Green Beret for Bravery presented to her by the Royal Marine Commandos.

Lydia and her sister Millie were awarded honouree Green Berets for their Bravery by the Royal Marine Commandos at RMB Chivenor in 2005.
So, that, and that their friends Mark Ormrod, Ben McBean and Matt Kingston were Royal Marines is why she is keen to help. She’s organised Prosthetic Limbs to be made for Ben Mc Bean and Matt Kingston, who are amputee ex Royal Marines.
Both Lydia and Millie help the Royal British Legion with Awareness.


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RotaKids now officially recognised

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“Rotakids” is now officially recognised and the RIBI New Generations Resource Group wishes to put together a directory of clubs and also officially recognise all the clubs already started with an official RIBI charter certificate. If your Club has a Rotakids Club, please let me have the following details:-

  • Name of RotaKids Club, School Name, School
  • Address/phone/email,
  • Date Formed, Sponsoring Rotary Club, Average number of RotaKid members,
  • Name of Rotarian contact, Rotarian contact details,
  • Any other information e.g.projects undertaken, are fees charged?

An early reply would be appreciated, so that details can be
included in the directory of clubs. I should also like to hear from you if your Club is thinking
of starting a RotaKids Club or about any difficulties you’ve had in trying to start one.  Many thanks.  See also the attached information sheet on Rotakids and, if you would like a poster, go to http://www.ribi.org/youth/rotakids
Shirley Kirk, District New Generations Committee Chairman

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September is New Generations Month

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September is New Generations Month! Celebrate by focusing on youth issues. Take on projects that benefit young adults in your communities and around the world. When planning activities this month, consider these questions:
How can you involve Rotaractors, Youth Exchange students and Ambassadorial Scholars?  Can you collaborate more closely with Rotaractors through a joint meeting, service project, or fundraising event? September is also a great time to appoint Rotarian mentors for your Rotaractors. Mentorship develops Rotaractors’ professional and leadership skills, enhances collaboration between individual Rotarians and Rotaractors, and creates stronger club connections. Do you know any 18 to 30-year-old? Give them the newest Rotaract in London leaflet available athttps://sites.google.com/site/rotaryofth/documents/Rotaract_Leaflet.pdf

Interested in learning more about Rotaract and how Rotary can benefit from sponsoring a Rotaract club? Celine Pasty can come and speak to your club!

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Beware! Rotary Youth Exchange students trying to visit London

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We are currently receiving emails from exchange students who are reaching the end of their year in a European district requesting that we enable them to visit London for a short time. There is some sort of rumour around Europewhich suggests to them that if they can get one of our Rotary clubs to invite them here – or just give them a contact name and a contact number – this satisfies their ‘minders’ and they are allowed to come here. This is completely untrue. Students and their parents know that travelling outside their district, let alone the country, is strictly against the rules and they sign at the outset to keep the rule. Permission to do so is granted only for a very good reason and can only be arranged between DYEOs of the districts concerned. Wherever the students travel to there must be the same high standard of care and screening that was required of their host district. This is very clear under the rules of Certification and to abuse them could cause RI to remove our Certificate to practice youth exchange. Quite apart from this, it is hard enough finding hosting for our own programmes without stray students arbitrarily ‘dropping in’ expecting to be hosted. Requests to District are passed to me. I give the students short shrift, and copy in my counterpart in the country concerned so that they know what is happening. If a student should approach your club  website please forward the email to me and I will handle it in the same way. Do not be soft hearted about this – it could put our own YE programme in jeopardy.
Thank you. Di King, District Youth Exchange Specialist.

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London schoolkids compete at Rotary Crystal Palace Sports Day

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THE LONDON ROTARY CLUBS SCHOOLS ATHLETICS MEETING

Sunday, 26th June, 2011

About two hundred youngsters from seventeen schools across the Greater London area are taking part in the Rotary Athletics Sports Day on Sunday, 26th June, 2011 at the national Sports Stadium at Crystal Palace in south-eastLondon.

Schoolchildren will compete in field and track events during the afternoon – with Rotarians from the Greater London area helping to record their efforts.

Years 7 and 8, 9 and 10 (12 to 16 year olds) from seventeen schools are competing.

The event is supported and sponsored by Rotary Clubs in Greater London and Kent, including: Balham, Barkingside, Battersea & Clapham, Bermondsey, Brixton, Catford, Chingford, Crystal Palace & Norwood, Dulwich & Peckham, Golders Green, Greenwich, Hanwell and Northfields, Lewisham, London, Northwick Park, Penge, Putney, Redbridge, Snaresbrook and Wanstead, Streatham, Tooting and Woolwich. The event is supported by the Rotary in London Sports Committee and the Youth Opportunities Committee.

Rotarian Roy Ashby from the Rotary Club of Dulwich and Peckham, who has organised the event for many years, said: “It is very rewarding to run this event each year and see the youngsters enjoying themselves competing at this fantastic venue at Crystal Palace.”

EVENT STARTS AT 1PM AND FINISHES BY 5PM.

Entrance free

ROTARY SPORTS DAY VENUE: CRYSTAL PALACE NATIONAL SPORTS STADIUM, LEDRINGTON ROAD,SE19 2BB.

Schools taking part:

Acton High School

Alleyns School (Dulwich)

Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic Secondary School (Streatham)

Cator Park School (Bromley)

Crown Woods College (Eltham)

Harris Academy Bermondsey

Harris Boys Academy East Dulwich

Kingsdale Foundation School (Dulwich)

Lilian Baylis Technology School (Kennington)

Prendergast School (Lewisham)

Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Secondary School (Camberwell)

St. Michael’s RC School (Bermondesy)

St.Saviours and St Olaves School (Southwark)

St Thomas the Apostle College (Nunhead)

Stockwell Park High School (Stockwell)

Walworth Academy (Walworth)

Wilson’s School (Wallington)

…………………………………………………………………..

Rules

Conditions of Entry -  We abide by the rules laid down by the South of England Athletic Association.

Class of Entry

Girls Years 7 and 8                                             Girls Years 9 and 10

Boys Years 7 and 8                                            Boys  Years  9 and  10

 

Personal Medals  -  The Winner and Runner-up in each event will receive a medal, as will members of the winning Relay Teams.

Trophies  -  A trophy will be presented to:

·       a boy and a girl for Best Individual Performance of the meeting;

·       a boy or girl for Best Endeavour;

·       the winning team in each Relay Event

·       the team in each category with Most Points.

 

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12-YEAR-OLD PIANO PLAYER REBECCA LEUNG IS VOTED RIBI YOUNG MUSICIAN 2011

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12-year-old piano player Rebecca Leung, a pupil at Bancrofts School, won the national Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland (RIBI) Young Musician Competition on Saturday, 14th May.  She was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Barkingside.

Rebecca represented the Rotary in London District in the competition which took place at Bedford School in Bedford.  It was a tough competition with excellent young musicians.  Rebecca won the final by 1 point, all the judges agreed that she was the best on the day.

Picture PS140317 shows Rebecca with her parents and District Governor for Rotary in London David Storrie (in mauve jacket).

 

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Rotary Young Citizen Awards on BBC News Channel over Easter weekend

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YOUNG CITIZEN AWARDS

A programme about the RIBI Young Citizens Awards is scheduled to be shown on the BBC News Channel over the Easter weekend and next week at the following times:

 

Saturday 23rd April  14.30

Sunday 24th April 02:30, 10:30, 23:30

Monday 25th April 14:30

Wednesday 27th April 03:30

 

The live broadcast from the RIBI Conference in Dublin is currently available on BBC iPlayer but this will only be until Saturday:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b010pbyd

DGN Eve Conway

 

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Rotary in London wins Rotary Youth Exchange award

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Dear Di
I am pleased to inform you that District 1130 has been awarded the Youth Exchange Award as the best performing district in RIBI in Youth Exchange.  The award which consists of a certificate will be presented during the 3rd plenary session of the conference, directly after the break. I would ask you to be in place at the front of the hall a few minutes before the end of the break, and if you identify yourself to the Sergeants at Arms they will show you where to go. Congratulations on this award
PDG Keith Paver, RIBI Conference Chairman, Dublin 2011

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