Youth Opportunities Committee
This committee seeks to recognize and celebrate the achievements of young people and identify and develop their leadership skills. It actively facilitates the promotion of a wide range of cultural and sporting events to enable young people of all ages to enjoy the challenges offered and to develop strong bonds of friendship with other participants. Youth are our future - there is no alternative!
Listed below are a few examples of the projects we are involved with.
Children
Singing for Children Concerts – early November
Over three nights up to 20 local primary school choirs will sing songs from around the world or on a “one world” theme. Each night approximately 180 children will sing and following individual pieces by each school, the massed choir will join together for the finale. The children are watched by an audience of up to 500 each night and the funds raised are donated 50/50 to an International and an Oxfordshire Children’s Charity.
Young
Musician of the Year - heats in January, final in March.
For 17 years our club has organized this competition and it has become one of the highlights of the local music scene. It gives much pleasure and satisfaction to see young people progress from the junior to the senior sections with increasing professionalism in their playing abilities. Many of our winners have gone on to a professional career in Music.
Some 120 young musicians enter the competition annually in 20 categories and apart from the Young Musician and Junior Young Musician of the year awards there are 21 other trophies awarded.
This event receives substantial sponsorship from Banbury Charities.
Rotary
Young Chef of the Year – heats from November to March, final in April.
The Rotary Young Chef competition was created to give young people the chance to show off their creative culinary talents, to promote healthy eating and learn important life skills. The competition is open to students from 11 to 18 years of age, up to 8 local secondary schools participate before the regional heats and national final in London. The competition is sponsored by the restaurant 15 (founded by Jamie Oliver and Felipo Berrio the largest supplier of Olive Oil.
This competition is organized in conjunction with the Rotary Club of Banbury Cherwell.
Rotary
Youth Leadership Award (R Y L A) - selection process from Jan to May, course in July.
This programme offers young people a special opportunity to take part in developing the qualities of leadership, team working, initiative and problem solving at the start of their careers or in further education.
Male or female candidates must be of at least average fitness, have already demonstrated leadership potential and be between 18 – 25 years of age on the 1st July. All Candidates are interviewed locally by Rotarians to assess their suitability, the successful person will attend an induction day and the week long programme itself in Snowdonia National Park. We also ask the successful candidate to give feedback to our club via a short talk & presentation at a weekly meeting.
Preliminary Interview Programme – March.
Each year 60 Rotarians and local business people interview up 140 year 10 students at Blessed George Napier School. The students are given training and guidance on interview skills and are asked to prepare a letter of application and Curriculum Vitae ahead of their work experience. We give each student the opportunity to practice these skills at a mock interview before they approach potential employers.
Every student meeting the standards is awarded a certificate for their Record of Achievement and the top students win other prizes. Each year we get excellent feedback from the school about this programme.