Sports Studies quartet to lead Zambia trip

Carlton, Rebecca, Jessica & Luke

A group of UCLan students have been rewarded for their efforts on a charity project by being chosen to lead an upcoming trip to Africa.

Final year undergraduates Jessica Martin, Rebecca Neill, Luke Daniels and Carlton Evans have been appointed Team Leaders for the UCLan Sport for Development Project 2015.

They will coordinate next year's visit to Zambia, where students from different study routes will team up to make a difference to children's lives.

Working in partnership with agencies such as Sport in Action and Zambia-based Edusport, Senior Lecturer Cliff Olsson created the project to provide students with an opportunity to study the global value and contribution sport can make in one of the poorest areas of the world.

The projects rely upon the goodwill of voluntary sports leaders from the compounds who work with some of the most vulnerable children in the world with only the most basic of resources, delivering key life skill messages through activities and games.

Course Leader, Danny Nuttall commented: "The Sports Studies team are very proud of the achievements of our current third years. The staff who took students to Zambia last year were waxing lyrical about the efforts of Rebecca, Jess, Carlton and Luke, among others, upon their return.

"The fact that all of the Team Leader positions have been filled by students from our course this year is testimony to the great potential many of our third years are demonstrating at present.

"That, coupled with sheer hard work and determination, has made these four students the stand out candidates to lead their peers in Zambia again this year. Congratulations to all of them; this is recognition they all thoroughly deserve."

Jessica said: "The impact the project has on the communities, and the satisfaction we got from the experience last year, is what made us apply for the team leader positions. We're excited to be a part of the project this year and see it from a different perspective as team leaders.

"We hope to be confident and competent to be able to guide and influence the students involved with the project. It will help supplement our leadership skills, which will work to our advantage in future careers as well as opening up new opportunities and options within sport for development."