Rota-tastic!

Dounby’s RotaKids have received their charter certificate to officially confirm their formation as a group.

Alistair Risk from the Rotary Club of East Sutherland travelled to the county to make the presentation.

Dounby RotaKids is supported by Dounby School and the Rotary Club of Orkney.

Dounby Head Teacher, Islean Gibson, said: “Our RotaKids team work so diligently to serve their school and their wider community, as a whole school community, we just could not be more proud of their hard work and determination, alongside the invaluable support from the Orkney Rotary Club members who give up their time to share their skills and knowledge with our pupils. This is an amazing partnership that continues to go from strength to strength.”

The group began in Orkney when pupils from Dounby decided they wanted to re-engage with the community following a challenging period during the pandemic.

The activities undertaken by the RotaKids not only make a difference but, importantly, are fun. The projects can range from fundraising for charity to improving the environment to helping vulnerable folk here and abroad. Examples include – beach cleans and litter picks, tree planning and weeding gardens, tea parties and entertainment for the elderly, filling shoeboxes for refugee children, collecting books for less fortunate children, cake stalls and coffee mornings, to name but a few.

There’s also a knock-on benefit of growing self-confidence and self-esteem at what can be a key stage in a young person’s development.

Chair of the Council’s Education, Housing and Leisure Committee, Councillor Gwenda Shearer, commended both the schoolchildren and the local Rotarians for the ongoing sterling effort.

“Congratulation to the Dounby RotaKids on this formal recognition. Not only is this breaking down any generational barriers but it  brings an exciting and practical approach to supporting the citizenship element of the national curriculum. By doing so, children enjoy a boost to their confidence and self-esteem at a key age and develop and understanding of how their actions can impact on others.”