CYE-CYL restarts Summer Challenge for young people in Gibraltar

Change Your Energy, Change Your Life (CYE-CYL pronounced “cycle”) has launched its summer challenge a three week programme designed with young people in mind.

Each week has a different theme which seeks to maximise exposure to many activities, whilst making it fun, engaging and inspiring. The first week is the Outdoor Challenge, where participants go to a residential outdoor education centre to enjoy paddle boarding, ziplining, mud trails, archery, stargazing and much more.

The second week is the Innovation Challenge, where participants enjoy learning about entrepreneurship and use their creative ideas to raise funds for local charity partners in Gibraltar. In the past, participants have raised money for HelpmelearnAfrica, Cancer Relief and more. The third week is the Community Challenge, where participants engage in photography, drama, arts and sports and volunteer with local community partners. These have included Mount Alvernia, Clubhouse Gibraltar and others.

“Our youth are one of our greatest assets within our community. It is important to prioritise their self-development and nurture them in ways that can enhance their strengths and qualities. We believe everyone has the ability to empower themselves. Our organisation focuses on helping provide some of those powerful tools and techniques to motivate their personal growth along the way,” said Romina Mayani-Nankani, Managing Director of CYE-CYL.

CYE-CYL charges participants £50 and covers the rest of the costs. This ensures that all young people have equitable access to benefit from CYE-CYL’s activities. Its sponsors include EY, Trusted Novus Bank, Kusuma Trust to name but a few.

“EY, we are focused on building a better working world. Through our partnership with CYE-CYL, we are supporting young people discover new skills that will equip them with the tools needed to become self-sufficient, independent and successful in their own right. We are delighted that CYE-CYL is carrying out the Summer Challenge and we look forward to mentoring participants as they progress through the different activities.,” said Angelique Linares, Managing Partner at EY.

Christian Bjarlow, CEO at Trusted Novus Bank said, "As part of our corporate social responsibility (CSR) ambition to support local, we are thrilled to sponsor the local youth training and education programme run by CYE-CYL. This programme is perfectly aligned to our values and our colleagues look forward to supporting the education of the next generation of bankers.”

And Michelle Tosso, Country Manager at Kusuma Trust said, “At Kusuma Trust, we value the difference that community organisations and charities make to our society. We aim to support local people, causes and organisations such as CYE-CYL that are making a positive difference to the community and that enhance life in Gibraltar. Our hope is that through Kusuma Trust, we can continue make a difference to the world around us, and in doing so, we will pass on our values to the next generation so that they can continue to engage in society around them."

CYE-CYL ensures participants are exposed to a rich variety of activities which can be pursued further by referring them to other organisations who specialise in specific areas throughout the year. Examples include Duke of Edinburgh for outdoor activities, Young Enterprise for business, the Youth Centre for extra-curricular activities and many more. CYE-CYL believes in active collaboration between organisations, thereby ensuring that young people are offered multiple platforms to thrive, flourish and excel in their areas of interest.

“Coming from an academic background in psychology, we decided to create the Summer Challenge as an opportunity to support participants transform limiting beliefs and negative self-perceptions and allow participants to live with confidence, drive and ambition. It is essential to listen to the needs of our young people and provide support in ways that empower them to feel a sense of ownership over their lives,” said Navin Mayani, Chairman of CYE-CYL.

To apply as a participant for the Summer Challenge, visit www.cyecyl.org/apply to download an application form and send to romina@cyecyl.org.

The registered charity launched in 2018 to provide training and development programmes for young people in Gibraltar.