Nairn youth initiative will foster leadership skills

A group of young people recently launched the Nairn Academy Interact Club which was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Nairn.

The Interact Club was set up to encourage young people further their leadership skills and will become part of the Nairnshire Leadership Pathway which Elizabeth McDonald delivers under The Highland Council’s Active Schools programme.

‘Interact’ will provide opportunities for young people to lead community projects locally and abroad as well as linking with other UK and International Interact groups.

All of the young people who have formed the Interact club have been involved in the Young Sports Leaders scheme who this summer visited Malawi as part of the Dreams and Teams project.  At the launch the team shared their life changing experiences of the trip with an audience of parents, school staff and Rotarians all of whom found the presentation a fascinating insight into the hard work and emotions experienced by the group.

Brian Stewart, President of the Nairn Rotary Club praised the young people for their most interesting presentation of time in Malawi and reinforced the Rotary commitment to back Interact.  He highlighted the areas that the young people would be able to work in and thanked those who had already helped at the Nairnshire Challenge, the Farmers Show and the Highland Games.

A cheque for £500 was presented to Kirstin Scott and Mr Stewart suggested that this ‘seed money’ would enable them to generate more money and fund further activities.

Interact Club members who were present at the launch on Wednesday 22nd September 2010 included: Kirstin Scott, Emily Robinson, Ashlee Cairns, Eilidh McMillan, Jodie Paterson, Jamie McDonald, Innes Sutherland, Lewis McLaughlin, and James Asher.