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PICTURES: Rotary honour recognises Sutherland schools' pandemic efforts


By Caroline McMorran

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The efforts made by members of RotaKids and other pupils in five Sutherland primary schools to support their communities during the coronavirus pandemic have gained national recognition.

Helmsdale, Golspie, Brora, Rogart and Dornoch schools have each been presented with a Presidential Citation from the Head of Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland.

The RotaKids Presidential Citation is given in recognition of the highest level of achievement and a minimum of seven standards must be achieved to be considered for the citation.

The five schools are amongst less than 20 in Scotland to be awarded citations.

East Sutherland Rotary Club president Alistair Risk, a Rotary Highland youth officer, visited some of the schools in person to present the various citations.

He said schools had made a “terrific effort in a difficult year”.

He said that despite the restrictions imposed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, and particularly with Rotarians unable to enter schools to provide support to RotaKids, pupils in all five schools had continued to work hard for the benefit of their wider communities.

“The pandemic has meant that so many events and initiatives have been unable to take place,” said Mr Risk. “But the schools have ensured that the ethos of helping others and supporting the environment has continued and flourished throughout the school year.”

At Helmsdale, pupils have filled Christmas shoeboxes for those in need, and cleared litter from the village’s beach and green spaces as well as helped the older generation and raised cash for Diabetes UK.

The youngsters also made a video of their activities for Rotary headquarters and it has been shown across the UK.

Brora pupils have also been busy raising money for Rotary’s international End Polio campaign and also more locally for playground equipment.

And they have been trying hard to make their environment cleaner, picking up rubbish and plastics from a stretch of Brora beach.

They too recorded a video which was shown at a virtual conference for Rotarians in the north of Scotland. The video featured the school’s Silent Choir – the pupils learned sign language during lockdown and the Silent Choir signs and sings at the same time.

Meanshile Simon Scott, cluster head teacher of Golspie and Rogart primary schools, is himself a Rotarian and guided RotaKids’ groups in the two schools.

The students developed skills in team building and community awareness and also undertook activities to improve the environment including planting trees and bug friendly plants and carrying out beach cleans.

Mr Risk said that pupils at Dornoch had through the pandemic continued to gain leadership skills, community awareness and environmental knowledge and skills.

“The RotaKids at Dornoch particularly enjoyed being involved in the Rotary shoebox campaign and raising money to support Highland Hospice,” he said.

As part of its active youth programme, the Rotary Club of East Sutherland has established, and works closely with, seven RotaKids clubs in its area along with Interact Clubs at Golspie High School and Dornoch Academy.


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