Alf Buchanan Memorial Youth Trophy
Two sides of the youth experience were the topic of last week's meeting of Donaghadee Rotary Club. After the usual meal enjoyed by the members and their partners the first aspect was the presentation of the Youth Leadership award. President Richard Caldwell announced that six young people from three local secondary schools had entered this year's competition. After a round of interviews the worthy winner was Ballyvester girl Sara Sinnerton of Glenlola Collegiate School. She will now go forward to represent the club at the regional interviews. From this stage young people will be chosen to represent the Rotary Clubs of Ireland at the European Youth Parliament in Strasbourg. In the presence of her parents Janet and Tommy, President Richard presented Sara with the Alf Buchanan Memorial Trophy and prizes for herself and her school. The main speaker at the meeting was Karl Williams of the Bangor Branch of the Forum Against Substance Abuse and Suicide Awareness (FASA). Karl gave a very interesting and thought provoking talk on the problems facing young people. These encompass the temptations of the misuse of drugs and alcohol and the feeling of helplessness leading to a greater incidence of suicide and self-harm among the young. FASA provides services to those directly and indirectly affected by these issues. They work with partner agencies such as the two local authorities, the PSNI and Social Services to provide assistance throughout Bangor, Newtownards and the Ards Peninsula. It seeks to provide a “One-Stop” shop to address the needs of the young people in the area. Part of this essential work is providing training for teachers, parents and youth leaders. Family support groups are another element of the work. Karl stated that skepticism had to be overcome to reach sources of funding. This was vital if the organisation was to continue its work and carry out its planned expansion. Part of this expansion will centre on a therapeutic and outdoor centre in Ballywalter. President Richard thanked Karl for his presentation and stated that the club would explore ways in which they could support the worthwhile work of FASA.
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