Inspirational young people given top Rotary awards

The Rotary Club of Gosport held its annual youth awards and rewarded some of the dozens of young people who entered.

Each year the club awards a £500 bursary to assist a student from Gosport who is beginning, or part-way through, a degree course at university.

The winner this year was Keiran Mundy, 20, who is studying at the University of Reading.

Gosport Rotary’s vice-chairman Ray Drake said: ‘This year there were many good applicants and it was very hard to select those for interview.

‘It is great to see so many of Gosport’s youth making their way to higher education.

‘Kieran, who went to St Vincent College, particularly impressed the interview board with his enthusiasm and efforts to succeed in the subject of microbiology.’

Lacey-Love Kent, 19, also a St Vincent student, was awarded a certificate of commendation after the club put her forward for the national Rotary Young Person of the Year Award.

Lacey-Love is developing a singing career but has found time to support Macmillan Cancer Support, Aiden’s Walking Appeal, Cancer Research UK, The Emily Fund for a Better World, SAM’s walking appeal and CLIC Sargent.

She is no stranger to Rotary, having entered the Youth Speaks competition as a member of the Brune Park Community College team. Last year she volunteered to be a helper on the Rotary sleigh runs Christmas appeal.

Every year the club sends young people on the Rotary Youth Leadership weekend at Avon Tyrrell youth adventure centre in the New Forest.

The course is designed to develop 
skills and character, with students gaining exposure to leadership issues, exchanging ideas and having to work as a team 
member.

The club funded Courtney Davidson, 17, from St Vincent College. She was presented with a certificate for successfully completing the course.