The Rotary Club of Enniskillen recently hosted one of the seven regional finals of the Rotary Youth Leadership Development Competition, with two successful candidates receiving places on a team-building trip to Belfast and Dublin.

The Youth Leadership Development competition is one of the Rotary Club in Ireland’s longest-running youth projects, which rewards young people with clear leadership potential based on their extra-curricular activities.

Five nominees from across the region, which includes Rotary Clubs of Enniskillen, Sligo, Derry-Londonderry, Strabane and Lifford, took part in the regional final at the Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen on Monday, January 17.

“These are students who have come through a selection process in each of their areas,” said Heather Ellis, Youth Chair for Rotary Enniskillen.

On how the selection process for the regional final occurred, Heather said: “We approached a number of the local schools and asked them would they like to be involved in the selection process.

“We then got in touch with the teachers and they put forward nominees. We put a panel of three Rotarians into each of the schools to interview the students.

“The standard at school level was really high and I think the students were really delighted to be able to have the experience of an interview at a reasonably high level,” she said, noting that they received nominations from St. Michael’s College, Enniskillen Royal Grammar School, Mount Lourdes and St. Fanchea’s College.

“The successful candidate at school level was put forward to be interviewed again at club level,” said Heather, who went on to explain that the successful candidate at club level then proceeded to regional level.

“We had a panel of three people who interviewed at regional level the other evening; that was Anne Beattie, John Treacy and Harry McConkey,” said Heather.

“The two winners from our particular zone were Eilidh O’Connor from the Derry-Londonderry Club, and Adrienne Gallen, who comes from a school in Donegal,” she told this newspaper.

The three other candidates who were interviewed by the panel on the evening included Eve Callaghan from Loreto, Co. Leitrim; Kayla McGowan, from Coola, Co. Sligo; and Anna Toal from Mount Lourdes, Enniskillen.

Talking about her positive experience of the competition, Anna – who was the Rotary Club of Enniskillen candidate – said: “The overall experience has been so worthwhile and I will really treasure all the skills I have developed over this time.”

She went on to thank the Rotary Club of Enniskillen for its valuable help and advice.

The two successful candidates, Eilidh and Adrienne, will join the other regional winners from across the island of Ireland to attend a six-day team building trip which begins in Belfast where they will visit The Titanic Centre, partake in a tour of Stormont, and meet with local politicians and business leaders.

They will then travel to Dublin where they are invited to an information seminar and lunch hosted by the staff of the European Parliament offices. This will be followed by a tour of Dail Eireann and further meetings with politicians.