On Monday 4th  May, 2009, the inaugural Spring Challenge, organised by the Young Citizen’s Fund of The Golden Jubilee Trust, took place at Ard Whallin.

The event was designed to encourage citizenship among young people not only through teamwork and competition but also by working with Youth Champions from the Island’s local authorities and police officers.

Five teams from across the Island (representing Douglas, Douglas East, North, South and West), comprising nine young people and three representatives of local authorities and the police, competed across a number of challenges testing physical, creative and mental skills over course of the afternoon.

The team from the North received the Spring Challenge Shield, presented by His Excellency Vice Admiral Sir Paul Haddacks KCB the Lieutenant Governor. The winning team and the runners up from the West also received gift vouchers kindly donated by HMV in Douglas.

John Knight Chairman of the Young Citizen’s Fund said 'The whole event has been a testament to the young people from across the Island. There was a large amount of preparation with young people working with local commissioners and police officers to ready themselves for the day.

'We also had the fortunate situation where teams were over-subscribed. It was a real pleasure to watch young people from across the Island working together and demonstrating teamwork, commitment, leadership and a whole host of other qualities while at the same time having a great deal of fun.

'It’s fair to say that their enthusiasm transmitted itself to the commissioners and police officers involved in the day.'