Megan Sharkey
Megan's page
Fundraising for Harris Bursary Fund
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“Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to unite in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than governments in breaking down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of all types of discrimination”
Nelson Mandela
The UCLanSport for Development Project was established in 2008 by Cliff Olsson Senior Lecturer in Sport Coaching and Development in the School of Sport Tourism and the Outdoors. Working in partnership with Right To Play a project was developed and underpinned by a module of work that provides undergraduates with an opportunity to study the global value and contribution that sport can make toward supporting the Millennium Development Goals which range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education.
The UCLanSport Development Project actively supports sport projects that are being delivered in some of the poorest parts of the world by agencies such as Sport in Action and EduSport based in Zambia. 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.
Last year UCLan students raised over £5,000 through a variety of fundraising activities and with this made a significant contribution to buying basic sports equipment and supported the building of basketball courts in local rural schools in Zambia. In addition the money raised provided the opportunity for the local voluntary sports leaders from Zambia to come to the Preston Campus and share their skills and knowledge with local community volunteers and children from neighbouring schools. The UCLanSport for Development Project also actively supports Coaching for Hope in South Africa and Right To Play
UCLan has worked in partnership with the agency’s for the last two years to help raise awareness of HIV, advance sexual health education and improve life quality through sport.
Students from the University have worked with the University of Zambia, Nkrumah College of Education and Zambia Sport in Action across six projects in Kabwe to work with peer leaders and lead and develop sport and education sessions for local children.
The money raised through UCLan’s fire walk challenge will go towards funding for more UCLan students to visit Zambia to help some of the poorest young people in Africa in some of the most challenging environments.
To this end Megan Sharkey is participating in a fire walk to raise funds for this group and help send her and some of her fellow students from UClan over to Africa to carry out some of this work during the summer of 2012
every penny counts towards sending these student’s to work and help the children who don’t receive the opportunities that we receive
As the UN convention stated: every child should have the right to play!
your help and generosity would be much appreciated..