OKEHAMPTON Youth Hostel last week hosted 24 young people aged between 17 and 18, who were taking part in the Rotary Youth Leadership Award scheme. The youngsters, who were all funded to attend by Rotary Clubs in Devon and North Cornwall, spent five action-packed days taking part in activities which included abseiling, survival techniques, rock climbing, canoeing, dinghy sailing, raft building, and mountain biking. The young participants described the course as ?awesome?, ?action packed? and ?a lot of fun?. Each morning, the group heard a different speaker from a local group, including talks on positive leadership, communication skills and conflict management, before setting out for the day?s outdoor activity. On the Thursday morning, their speaker was president of Okehampton Rotary Club Kay Bickley, who spoke on what Rotary is and what it does for the community. The participants received their awards at the end of the week at a presentation ceremony in the Octagon Theatre. The Rotary Club of Okehampton is keen to hear from any young person aged between 16 and 18 who would like to attend the 2008 course, which will provisionally run from Saturday July 19 until Friday July 25. Anybody interested should apply in writing to The Rotary Club of Okehampton c/o The White Hart Hotel, Fore Street, Okehampton, marking their envelope RYLA.
