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Building Confidence Through Leadership and Adventure

Over the summer, Sixth Form student Sofia W took part in the prestigious Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) 2026, a week-long residential programme designed to develop confidence, resilience and leadership skills in young people. In the following account, Sofia reflects on the challenges, friendships and memorable experiences that made the week so rewarding.  

Over the summer I was given the opportunity to participate in the RYLA 2026 which is a week-long programme for young people to explore and develop leadership skills.   

We were allocated into teams for the week encouraging us to form new bonds and friendships. I participated in a wide range of activities such canoeing, gorge walking, caving and climbing. I led the canoeing expedition, conveying instructions to my team to ensure that safety precautions are met and how the activity should be done.  

We also had different evening activities such as walking up Pen Y Fan, orienteering and mountain walks. After a day out of activities, we would settle in the evenings and play our own games. Some popular evening activities were cards, watching movies, Just Dance and karaoke. On the last day, we had a competition between the teams to build a coracle, which didn’t end well for my team, but we all had fun and was treated with ice cream in the end! Spending a week with new people encouraged me to step outside my comfort zone and make new friends that I am still in contact with.  

The week provided me with memorable experiences that I will cherish forever. The RYLA course was a unique experience that boosted my confidence and developed my leadership skills.