Students set up Interact club with help of Rotarians

Students have set up a club with the help of Rotarians.

Grantham Rotary Club has guided Sir William Robertson Academy sixth form students over the last few months to set up an Interact Club, a first for the school.

Interact clubs bring together young people aged 12 to 18 to develop leadership skills while discovering the power of ‘Service Above Self’. Sixth formers have held weekly meetings since last term to look at what was involved in setting up the club and the club’s inaugural ceremony took place with around a dozen Rotary Club members in attendance.

Deputy headteacher Steve Grant gave a warm welcome to the Rotary visitors. Rotarian Neil White spoke about the aims and goals of Interact. Neil has been working closely with the sixth formers. Ken Ackroyd, chairman of the youth and community committee, gave a recommendation speech and handed over to Peter Berry, District governor nominee, who presented the Interact Charter to the group. Ray Klingels, president of the Rotary Club of Grantham presented SWRA’s president, Caitlin MacNeill, with the Interact regalia followed by Glenys Robertson, president elect of Grantham Rotary Club who presented the students with their lapel pins.

Caitlin talked about the goals of the new club and ended the ceremony with a vote of thanks. She said: “We are excited to be working with ActionAid, supporting women and girls across the globe and look forward to future collaborations, making a difference locally.”

Peter Berry, who will be Grantham Rotary’s district governor in 2020/21, said: “The Rotary Club of Grantham is very proud and privileged to work with the outstanding students and staff at Sir William Robertson.We are very pleased to welcome them into the family of Rotary and look forward to working with staff and students for many years to come. Interact students are the potential Rotary members of the future, and we will be very happy to help them learn, and to learn from them.”

SWRA’s club is currently working with ActionAid, a charity which helps give women and girls a chance to have a better education. They are also looking at local and international projects which includes helping homeless shelters provide their services during the winter months, and other charities like Age UK. The club’s first fund-raising event was a Valentine cookie baking event which raised £117.