So asked one of the young people on the last day of this year’s Rotary Youth Leadership Awards course (RYLA) whch was held at Kingswood near Albrighton in August.

39 boys and girls aged between 16 and 18 attended the residential event which presented physical and mental challenges that allowed them, in teams, to experience leadership, communication and problem solving, based on outdoor activities led by experienced and qualified staff with each team having a Rotarian mentor.

The course was designed to encourage the youngsters to learn the importance of competition, gain confidence through pride in achievement, build character and tolerance as the building blocks to the quality of life.

Our own club, The City of Wolverhampton, sponsored Frankie Walker, Mandeep Bagwal and Zahra Rashid. They were taken to the course and returned home by club members Michael Hardacre, Lynne Plant, Sylvia and Derek Morgan and Richard Green who was accompanied by Alder Allen.

In every case, we experienced the usual apprehension by each of the youngsters as they travelled to Kingswood, followed by enthusiasm, delight and praise at the end. New friendships were formed as can be seen in the photograph of the whole group, and these friendships, based on past experience of RYLA, will remain in place for many years.

Numerous challenges put to the youngsters included buggy building, archery and ‘blindside’ in which each team member had to negotiate an obstacle course wearing a blindfold while the other members guided them by describing the obstacles.

On the Thursday evening, it was ‘Talent Night.’  Parents, guardians and Rotarians were invited to a fun event at which each team had been challenged to entertain by putting on a show. The results drew loud applause not only from the other RYLArians but from the whole appreciative audience.

Designed to give the participants an unforgettable experience, its success was summed up by one departing participant as ‘the best week I’ve ever had!’

PDG Richard Green