Governors’ Travel Bursary – Students Volunteering In Africa & America



The Governors’ Travel Bursary Award has been established by the Corporation to encourage students’ participation in activities that will enhance their life experiences and give them additional skills; for example this might be to undertake foreign travel and/or take part in charitable projects in the UK or abroad with the aim of broadening their experiences of the world.
The award supports the College’s Strategic Priority (3) Think Big. There is a world beyond Lowestoft. To prepare our students to face and relish the challenge
*Please note that this award is only available to L6FC students

Due to the receipt of this award two students have been able to realise their plans; volunteering with the international community this summer.

Zoe is in Lesotho, Africa – staying for ten weeks with the charity Skillshare International. Zoe will be part of a of a team of ten people; visiting local communities raising awareness of healthcare provision and access to it (particularly about contraception and sexual health issues as Lesotho has one of the highest HIV rates in the world). Zoe will also be working with girls and woman who struggle with discrimination. Zoe hopes to be able to use the skills she’s learned at college whilst out in Africa. Once she’s completed her studies (BTEC Applied Science: Forensic) Zoe hopes to go onto Edinburgh Napier to study a general nursing course. We are confident her time and experiences in Africa will help shape and prepare her for the healthcare career she is aiming for.

Zara is spending the summer in New York and then Buffalo for two months with Camp America (Camp Seven Hills which is a Girl Scout Camp) where she will be a Unit Councillor and Archery Instructor working with girls aged 6-16 years. Zara has been involved in the Scouting Movement (here in the UK) for over ten years and is now a leader for 6-14 year olds. Zara too hopes to apply and enhance the skills she’s learnt on her courses here at College (Sport and Exercise Science, Health and Social Care and Psychology) whilst at the camp. At the end of the summer Zara will also have shall gained an Archery Instructor qualification and the International Youth Leadership Award (IYLA). On return Zara plans to apply for university to study Child or Adult Nursing or to apply for an apprenticeship within the health care industry.

Last year’s recipient Emma completed her Alevel studies (Chemistry, Maths, Music, Biology) and then went out to Ghana with the charity Thrive Africa. She took part in a month long volunteering project (September 2014); building libraries in unused rooms of schools that have minimal resources, partaking in children’s home development to hopefully improve the living conditions the orphans who live there, developing caregiver housing and working towards disaster prevention.

Emma is considering going onto medical school in the future and has sat her UKCAT. Emma had to fundraise in order to take part including bake sales and other activities. She also received the Governors’ Travel Bursary.