The Rotary Club of Canterbury established a charity at the end of the last millennium to provide grants to young people who live, work or study in the Canterbury City Council district and who have an interest in undertaking some charity work abroad with a recognised charity.
Since its inception the charity has attracted a good level of applications for grants, but requests ceased with the worldwide spread of Covid-19 and sadly several grants were returned when expeditions were cancelled as a result of the travel restrictions imposed.
International travel restrictions that were in force during the pandemic have now been changed and people are cautiously travelling further afield. This may encourage young people from the district to consider some overseas charitable work. There are many benefits from the experiences and adventures gained from undertaking such challenges including the enhancement of educational courses for those studying environmental topics.
To date, we have helped around 60 youngsters to travel and serve communities overseas with grants totalling almost £30,000. This year, the charity expects to award a total of up to £5,000, of which up to £750 may be allocated to any one applicant.
Among the successful candidates who have recently received funding to contribute to their costs:
- Katie and Sophie, former pupils of the Archbishop’s School, working with the poor in the suburbs of Durban, South Africa.
- Hannah, working with a deprived tribe in Peru.
- A party of students from a local church who travelled to Uganda to serve with JENGA, working with people who live in poverty.
- Finlay, a student at Simon Langton Grammar School who travelled to Kenya to volunteer in the Massai Mara National Reserve working on a wildlife database.
- Alice from Herne Bay Guides and Hugo, Jack and Arthur who are scouts from the Canterbury Methodist Church Troop are all attending the 25th Scouts and Guides World Jamboree in 2023.
All candidates who receive grant funding from the charity are asked to come back to talk to a meeting of the Rotary Club about their time abroad.
All these young people have encountered life-changing experiences being able to help others, as well as greatly broadened their own outlook on life. Often they have had to endure what was to them, basic conditions. All of them have benefited from, and enjoyed their time, abroad.
The Charity Trustees are now looking at providing grants from 2023 onwards.
Application forms can be downloaded from here.
As an alternative any interested person can contact the charity by email at: millschol@rotarycanterbury.org.uk
