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Youth Projects

Together We Mentor graphic

Rotary believes in developing the next generation of leaders. Our programs help younger leaders build leadership skills, expand education and learn the value of service.

Deeplish Community Centre Project

 

The club established a link with Deeplish Community Centre which serves a deprived BME community in the centre of Rochdale. A number of Youth activities were planned, the first being an Environment Project with a play scheme which the centre ran for young people aged 8-15 for 4 weeks in the afternoons in August 2024.

The Project had the following objectives:

1.    To promote awareness of the natural environment and man's effect on it.

2.    To provide opportunities for young people to grow plants at the centre for themselves and for the community garden.

3.    By practical work e.g. litter picking to appreciate how rubbish and plastics affect the local environment.

4.    To promote Rotary including our own Accessible Edibles Growbags developed by Rotarian David Acton.

The project was delivered to approximately 60 young people over 6 afternoon sessions and was led by a tutor from the Petrus Community, assisted by volunteers recruited by the centre. Activities included setting up growbags, growing plants from seeds and taking them home and establishing a community garden around the centre including planting several fruit trees. There was also be a litter picking session around the Jackie Brook area

near the centre. The project concluded with the young people preparing a presentation on their work with certificates and prizes presented by the Rotary Rochdale President Irene Davidson.

Image of play scheme
Image of community policing
Image of project leaders
Image of playscheme
Image of play scheme
Image of certificate presentation

Youth Health Champions

 

The Youth Health Champions programme, began in 2022 at Rochdale Sixth Form College and some Rochdale secondary schools, are well under way.

Rotarians Paul Rowen and Selwyn Hodge had held several successful meetings with the key members of the College staff, head teachers of some of the secondary schools and staff from Rochdale Council and Rochdale Health Commissioning groups.

Students from the College undertook their training as Youth Health Champions, with the help of an external facilitator, and all successfully achieved their NVQ Level 1 qualification, which will then enable them to work with students in Rochdale secondary schools to provide targeted health promotion and guidance as necessary.

As the scheme moves into its second year, interest is now coming from Hopwood Hall College and several other secondary schools within the borough.

Youth Speaks

In 2020 we hosted one of the local heats of the national competition at Falinge Park High School.  Our grateful thanks are due to the Head Teacher and staff for their kind support.  Also thanks are due to President Ravi Sharma and the team of volunteers from Rochdale Rotary Club who helped to organise and run the event on the night.

Regrettably, the Rochdale teams that reached the regional finals did not progress beyond this point.  But because of Covid 19, the national competition also had to end at this stage.

The District competition was held using Zoom in both 2021 and 2022, thanks to a lot of hard work and organisation by all the schools and Rotary clubs involved. The entrants from Falinge Park high School once again did themselves and their school proud.

After a break due to Covid restrictions Falinge Park High School hosted a District heat in February 2023. In front of a live audience students from 4 schools tested their speaking abilities. Hon. Guest Mayor of Rochdale Cllr. Ali Ahmed is a former pupil of Falinge and said "I'm so delighted that our young people have the ability to stand up in front of people and give such great presentations"

Topics were about Human Rights (Falinge) Environment (Oldham Hulme intermediate team ) ,Poverty (Beech House) and Not to regret one's past failings too much(Oldham Hulme Senior team)All teams had a Chairperson, Speaker and Vote of thanks person with strict time limits monitored by 2 Rotary timekeepers. 2 questioners Joe Wiggans and Janice Knowles put a question to each speaker after their speeches.

Adjudicators Janice Knowles and John Wroe congratulated all teams and gave some advice and encouragement for the future. After much deliberation they decided that both Oldham Hulme teams would go through to the District finals at Frodsham on 5th March. All team members were given a participation certificate. 

President Selwyn thanked Falinge School and Host Teacher Sarah Boyle also Rotarian John Kay MC, Rotarian Ravi Sharma and District Rotary Chairman Warren Heyes for organising the evening. "we have very much looked forward to this event and it hasn't disappointed"

If you would like more details or to enter team(s) from your secondary school in a future Youth Speaks competition, please contact us we would love to hear from you.

Youth Speaks Award

Local Organiser Rotarian Ravi Sharma with Mayor Cllr Ali Ahmed presenting certificates to Oldham Hulme Intermediate team

Youth Speaks 2024

In 2024, the Club hosted both a heat of Youth Speaks, but also the North-East District Final. Both events were held again at Falinge Park High School and organised for the Club by Rtn Ravi Sharma.

 

Three teams each of Intermediates and Seniors took place in the heat with Falinge Park and Bury Grammar winning respectively. They then joined a further 3 teams each in their respective categories for the final.

After some excellent presentations and much deliberation by the judges, Bolton School (Girls) won the Intermediate title whilst Bury Grammar took the Senior title. They both earned a place in the District Final.

Bury Grammar Team image
Beech House School team image
Hulme School team image
Image of Falinge Park High team
Bolton School team image

Advice on Health Related Careers

Over the past year, several lunchtime sessions were held for interested students at the Rochdale Sixth Form College regarding career pathways in health related areas. These were hosted by Rotarians David Smithard, Elvet Smith & Selwyn Hodge.  Around 50 students attended. Plans are in place to extend this activity to enable more targeted advice to be provided to individual students in the future.

Rotary - The Next Generation

Rotary is committed to offering young people opportunities to unlock their potential, develop their skills and broaden their horizons. There are a wealth of projects available locally and nationally and details can be found on the Rotary Great Britain and Ireland website here.

Our Club would welcome the opportunity to work with individuals, schools or youth groups who are interested in any of these projects. Please get in touch through our Contacts page and let's talk.

Most Improved Student Awards

The Rotary Club of Rochdale is proud to present awards for the Most Improved Student to the following schools within our borough: Moorhouse Primary, Littleborough Primary, Falinge High, Wardle High, Redwood and Hopwood Hall College.

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