Leadership Skills Training

FLIPping Regiment

Despite the appalling weather, forty young members of the Future Leaders In Philanthropy (FLIP) project spent a day of leadership training and team-building with the Royal Gibraltar Regiment. Held at a rain-swept, Buffadero Training Centre, a paintballing competition went ahead as planned but the weather meant that most of the other activities, such as command tasks and fitness sessions, had to be switched inside. The project members also took part in a laser weapon competition in the Dismounted Close Combat Trainer.

‘These people are the future leaders of our community, said Moe Cohen, CEO of the Benita Trust, ‘So it’s important that we enhance their leadership skills and build them up as a team if we want to plant the seeds of strategic philanthropy for them in later life.’

‘This is our second year working with people in Years 12 and 13 and it teaches them how charities work and about community awareness and charitable giving,’ added Ros Astengo, FLIP’s Project Manager. ‘Our management team wanted the students to take part in some event that was both fun and challenging and I’d done something similar to this before so I knew it would work. It’s been absolutely brilliant! All the students have learned a lot about themselves and they’re also learning what it takes to be a leader. Most important – we’ve had a lot of fun together, despite all the rain.’

‘FLIP is a different experience: it teaches us things that we don’t learn in school,’ said Year 12 student, Justine Johnson. ‘It’s been really enjoyable, especially the shooting on the laser range!’

Lathan Norton agreed. ‘Yes, it’s been really enjoyable but I’ve learned a lot about leadership. I’m in the Scouts and, for my FLIP project, I’m working with the 1st/4th Scouts. The leadership skills I’ve learned today will be very useful and helpful. But, because we’re doing these tasks with all our friends, it’s been good fun’

‘The activities have been well thought out,’ added Maxine Robba. ‘Some have needed good inter-personal communications and others have needed teamwork. At various stages, certain leadership lessons have been pointed out to us. The Regiment have gone to a lot of trouble over all this – it’s been really well organised.’

‘We’ve been more than happy to help with this project, ‘said Lieutenant John Pitto. ‘The FLIP project is good for the future of Gibraltar and it is a good experience for our junior instructors who are not used to dealing with Years 12 and 13.’

So, despite the terrible weather, it seems that everybody gained from the day.