Lunch time meeting - ZOOM Talk from Alan Farquharson on Ocean Youth Trust

On Thursday 20th August 2020 President Geoff Sampson welcomed 12 Club Rotarians and guest speaker Alan Farquharson to this lunch time meeting held by ZOOM.

Our speaker this week was Rotarian Alan Farquharson, Vice chair of Association of Fife Rotary Clubs and was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship by his club the Rotary Club of West Fife in June 2020. Alan gave his talk about the Ocean Youth trust. We as a club give money annually to the Young carers as do another 14/15 Fife clubs. A young carer is someone under 18 who helps look after someone in their family, or a friend, who is ill, disabled, has a mental health condition or misuses drugs or alcohol. Carers Trust helps young carers to cope with their caring role through specialised services delivered by Carers Trust Network Partners across the UK. They are independent charities. Activities offered include activities and breaks, part of this is Ocean Youth Trust Scotland formed in 1978 who are a leading youth work charity and the only national, voluntary organisation of its kind. Through their adventurous residential sailing voyages, they help hundreds of volunteers and support young people aged 12-25 to realise their true potential. They have 4 vessels and Fife Young Carers select 10 people who are fully committed to the programme to attend.

Over 700 young people from a diverse range of backgrounds sail with OYT each year for 5 days at a time. Working with groups and individuals, they support schools, young carers, youth groups, young people with additional support needs, sailing clubs and many more. The groups vision was that they believe that all young people, regardless of circumstance or ability, should have the opportunity to realise their true potential in order for them to live healthy, fulfilling lives, making a positive contribution to their community and to society in general. Their Mission being to inspire young people through the challenge of adventure under sail. Their voyages provide a uniquely powerful and extremely effective environment for the personal development of young people from all backgrounds.

The Rotary vote of thanks was given by Wilna Roger.

Some of our members attended a ZOOM meeting on Tuesday where we heard an update from representatives of the Inverness Culloden club on their Pump Aid Project in Malawi which we and the Interact Club from Glenrothes High School had given money to. SVP Brian Johnson gave our members feedback from the presentation.

We are still collecting Computers and laptops and took another computer down to HAGO computers for the schools and community project

This coming week Thursday 27th August 2020 at 1pm on ZOOM we will hear further from Malcolm Rooney, District Environmental Officer,

The Rotary vote of thanks will be given by Brian Johnson.

If you were interested in supporting the community and international projects get in touch by Private message on The Rotary Club of Glenrothes Facebook page. You will be made most welcome.