Cove comes top of her RYLA class!

Haworth’s Cove Oldfield emerged as a potential leader of the future after heading the winning team in the 2025 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards course (RYLA) at Hebden Royd, Hebden Bridge earlier this month (August).

Cove, 16, a student at Halifax’s Trinity Sixth Form Academy, captained one of the teams of girls and boys at this year’s course staged by Rotary’s District 1040, the collective body for most of the Rotary Clubs in Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire.

And her team of girls and boys that was called ‘Three Fish and Five Chips’ emerged as the winners of the demanding five-day experience..

RYLA is a leadership development programme run by Rotary clubs and their District organisations for young people aged 14 to 30 years old when participants take part in camps, workshops, or seminars focused on leadership, teamwork, community service, and personal growth.

The Rotary Club of Keighley selected Cove to represent them on this year’s five-day course and invited her to talk to their members about her experiences as a RYLA participant.

Cove joined the Rotarians at a meeting in Central Hall, Alice Street last month and delivered an impressive presentation about her RYLA experience.

Cove, who is also a member of the RAF Cadets, said: “Taking part in the RYLA course was an amazing experience and I was so glad the Keighley Rotarians selected me. It taught me so much about being a leader and myself.

“It also took me out of my comfort zone, and I learned so much about working with other people.”

Liz Joyce, President of the Rotary Club of Keighley, added: “Cove more than justified our faith in selecting her to represent our club on the RYLA course and she received some amazing feedback from the course organisers about her contribution.

“Her presentation to our members was impressive and she reflected well on the young people of Keighley and the Worth Valley.”

Club President Liz (pictured left) with RYLA student Cove Oldfield