Fancy yourself a leader, someone others can look up to, someone to help peers find a safe path through the minefield of modern life? Then PRIDE Youth to Youth (Y2Y) is the place to be on Fridays from 4 to 6pm.

The Royal Gazette caught up with some Y2Y members and their adult advisors, Samantha Smith and Truell Landy, at their Back to School celebration at Fort Hamilton on Friday afternoon.

Between mouthfuls of pizza and gulps of cold drink, club members explained why they kept coming back – some for several years. 17-year-old Tanaya Taylor came along to a meeting with her sister last year, and enjoyed it so much, she's ready to sign on for another year. "It's a lot of fun," she declared.

"These lot make me laugh a lot," she added, indicating her pals lounging nearby.

Kyle Showers, an 18-year-old student at CedarBridge Academy, has been involved for a year and a half.

His aunt asked him to help out at the annual PRIDE middle school conference. The atmosphere was great; the children were having fun, and he found himself eager to take on a greater leadership role, hence his involvement in Youth to Youth for high school students.

Shandora Burrows first got involved three years ago, when she also was asked by a family friend to help out at the PRIDE conference.

Her involvement has led to greater self-confidence. "I never thought I'd be able to stand up in front of young people and speak about drugs. That I could be a role model for young people."

But it isn't all about drugs, though the core principle is an anti-drug and alcohol message. They admit some of their peers have pre-judged the club as 'boring' and 'always talking about drugs,' but it's not like that they insist.

"It's fun. It's interesting. You get to experience new things, meet new people," declared Mikado Grant, a CedarBridge student who got involved when he was in middle school, and has now been part of the PRIDE movement for seven years.

Interrupting each other in their enthusiasm, the young people emphasised: "You meet new people; your self-esteem increases; and you have fun. Everyone's different and PRIDE accepts everyone. We don't always talk about drugs. We talk about lots of other things."

Regular meetings are held at Charities House on Point Finger Road from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. every Friday.

But on the weekend of September 19 to 21, the Youth to Youth leadership training will take place on Grace Island, and organisers are looking for high school students 15 years or older who are looking to have a good time while making a difference in the community.

The fee for the weekend is $40, which includes the $20 annual membership fee.

The weekend will involve media production, performing arts, games and leadership training, and is intended to prepare the young adults to take leadership roles at the up-coming PRIDE conference in November and to represent Bermuda at the PRIDE World Conference next year.

For further information and to register, telephone 236-2828 or email Samantha@pride.prevention.bm or truell@pride.prevention.bm