Columba 1400

Merchants’ Academy have worked with the charity Columba 1400 for the past 3 years in developing student and staff leadership skills. Each year a group of students and staff have travelled to Scotland to complete an intensive residential, including learning sessions up until 10.30pm at night. On their return, students are then encouraged to lead projects and activities that result in benefits to the Academy and the wider community.

A selected group of year nine students went on a trip to the Isle of Skye on the 16th – 21st October.
The activities up in Skye ranged from mug designs to canoeing to mountain rescue; and so many more! The students said that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and a life changing experience, they also said that they were grateful for having the chance to go.
Each day of the course the Columba staff had a new value for the students to focus on, and they had to do activities based on the value, and at the end of the day they had to reflect on the things they learned!

Jack said “Franko’s food was AMAZING!” and Sydney enjoyed the friend-ships that were built throughout the course. Many of the students found something new in themselves, and said that they are going to use that new found value more in everyday life.
The Columba graduates 2011 said to the next group ‘enjoy yourself, but don’t treat it as a holiday you may miss important parts of the course. Believe In Yourself!’