Skyline brings life skills course for trust

THANKS: Graeme Thomson (left), chairman of Martinborough Lions, with Pat Church and Sue Sullivan from the Martinborough Youth Trust.

The Martinborough Youth Trust will be able to send more local teens on a special life skills course following a donation from the Martinborough Lions.

The Lions donated $2600 to the trust after raising money from the Skyline Challenge, a mountain-bike and walking event, held in April.

The donation will allow the trust to send more of Martinborough's young people on the seven-day Discovery Course, held in Auckland, that aims to teach teens from around New Zealand life skills including: self-awareness, improved communications skills, self-management, self-motivation, healthy options and academic techniques.

The trust was established in 2001 with the aim of providing positive outcomes for local children.

Martinborough Lions chair Graeme Thomson presented the cheque to the trust's founders, Sue Sullivan and Pat Ann Church, this week.

The Skyline Challenge attracted 165 participants including a number of families and young children.

Skyline Challenge event manager Graeme Thomson said it was great to see a diverse range of ages and abilities tackle the scenic hills around the wine village.

"We were thrilled to see so many families and children, whose energy and enthusiasm compensated for having only tiny wheels to climb those big hills," he said.

The Skyline Challenge is a community event designed to provide people with their own personal riding and walking challenge and give them an opportunity to cover terrain not usually open to the public.

He said that it looks set to become an annual fixture.