volunteer zambia project

Volunteer Zambia is a programme run by the Wallace Group, which operates through a collaboration between eight UK universities (including St Andrews). It uses sport as a tool to engage, educate and empower young people both in Zambia, around Lusaka, and the UK and enables them to learn key skills such as teamwork and communication while focusing on the enjoyment which sport can bring to the lives of young people.

Who Am I?

I'm Fiona, and in my 3rd year at the University of St Andrews studying Psychology. I've been playing basketball since I was 7 and have been lucky enough to coach in England, America and Scotland. I've loved every minute of my coaching experiences and I am really looking forward to this new challenge - helping people and also giving me the chance to learn lots of new skills and methods too!

My project

Along with a group of students, I'm raising money to help me travel to Zambia to work with their coaches to deliver a basketball programme to children of all ages. This programme has been running for several years and strong connections have been established between in-country coaches, communities, and sports teams. Every year, the students that travel out are aiming to develop and build on these connections even further, and learn as much as we can from the programmes and people, whilst simultaneously doing what we can to promote and develop all aspects of sport to children and communities.

Volunteer Zambia is a truly fantastic project, and many people I know who have completed this tell me how this experience changed their life, and was an amazing part of their university experience.

I love to coach, I love sport, and I've seen first hand the incredible, endless benefits it can provide. The fact that I get the chance to share these with others and learn and develop my own coaching and lifestyle at the same time, truly makes me feel very lucky!

raising the money

I will be running a couple of events in St Andrews that would be amazing if you could attend, and hopefully you'll get a fun night of it too!

• Bingo/quiz night 
• St Andrews gift basket raffle
• For my hometown of Giffnock, Glasgow a second gift basket raffle - so it's not all fudge donuts and uni merchandise!

where will the money go

Funds will go to:

• cover travel costs to Zambia and subsistence costs while I’m living there (and if I meet that target).
• raise further funds for the equipment required to run the sessions.

rewards

• I'll also be giving out some rewards to thank people who are donating so please check them out!

Please help me to succeed!

• You don't need to give money to help me succeed!
• Please share this project with anyone you think would support me – on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, by email, telephone, in a chat over the fence or on your blog.
• Please don’t forget to sign up as a Helper or Follower.
• Find and follow Volunteer Zambia on Facebook
• In fact, share it with everyone you know - it's a great idea, and the more people who know about it, the more likely I am to achieve my goal. And I know I said you don't need to give money to help, but I'd love it if you did! Please sponsor me and help make this happen.

I am so excited to be taking part in this wonderful project. Thank you!

(All donations received over and above my minimum target will be held securely for the sole purpose of Volunteer Zambia initiatives – now or in the future.)