Youth Leadership competition

LEAD ON. President of Ballymoney Rotary Club, Gordon Robinson and Liz Dempsey, Ballymoney Inner Wheel President, pictured with Teachers, Louise Crawford from (Dalriada), and Cyntihia Curry VP of Ballymoney High School, with Pupils Stephanie Craig (BHS) and Chelsea McKendry (Dalriada) at a presentation event announcing the winner of a Youth Leadership Competition in Kellys Tap Rooms in Ballymoney on Wednesday.INBM46-14 030SC.

Also present for lunch were Mrs. Cynthia Currie Vice Principal of Ballymoney High School, Miss Louise Crawford Head of Sixth Form from Dalriada School and Mrs. Liz Dempsey President of Ballymoney Inner Wheel.

This competition is open to any young citizen of the EU.

Having been interviewed and selected at school level, the local finalists this year were Stephanie Craig from Ballymoney High School and Chelsie McKendry from Dalriada.

These two young people were interviewed because they have shown leadership potential in educational, vocational, community and/or sporting areas. The interviewers focused on work experience, leadership, planning and organization skills, with the emphasis needed for leadership and leadership potential.

Both young people interviewed were very talented and highly motivated and the panel of judges had a difficult task in choosing which one would go forward to the next stage.

The selected winner was Stephanie Craig from Ballymoney High School, who wins £100 cheque for herself and £100 cheque for her school. She will now go forward to Regional Finals in Ballymena on Monday 17 November in the Adair Arms, Ballymena where she will compete against other finalists from Ballycastle, Ballymena, Belfast Fortwilliam, Carrickfergus, Coleraine and Larne.

From this Regional Final three young people will be selected and will join 21 others from other Regional Finals from all over Ireland to go on a Group Study Tour to visit Stormont, European Offices in Belfast and European Institutions in Strasbourg and spend a Euroscola Day in the European Parliament.

The competition is organized by the Rotary Clubs of Ireland and sponsored by the European Parliament.

They wish to thank the schools and teachers involved for encouraging and helping the young people participate and thank also the President of Ballymoney Inner Wheel, Mrs. Liz Dempsey, who assisted on the final interview panel.

They also wish the local finalist, Stephanie Craig every success in the next interview and hope she will succeed in getting on this educational trip.