Malawian sports leaders make return visit to Nairn Academy

Nairn Academy’s sports leaders and staff were recently delighted to welcome three teachers and seven pupils from their link school, Chipasula Community Day Secondary School in Lilongwe, Malawi to the Highlands.

The money to bring the group to Scotland was raised by Nairn Academy sports leaders with the support of the Commonwealth Youth Exchange Council and Nairn Rotary Club.  The young people from Nairn ran a number of events including discos, Stay and Play days and badge making to raise the money for their flights, accommodation and other expenses with friends and family of the Academy providing meals.

During their stay the young people will work with the Scots and Coaching Highland to improve their sports leadership skills to enable them to run extra curricular activities in their own school and wider community.  They will also have the chance to assist in events in the community like Nairnshire’s Nursery Olympics, Rosebank Primary School Sports and the Ardersier Gala.  It is also hoped that the Scots and the Malawians will look at key health concerns in each country and produce a newspaper offering and sharing advice.

Visits to Badaguish, Edinburgh and the David Livingstone Centre in Blantyre have also been arranged.  MSP Mary Scanlon has agreed to show the group round the Scottish Parliament and Edinburgh Councillor Stephen Cardownie has organised a number of exciting visits for them during their stay in the capital.

This project is part of the on going Dreams and Teams British Council / Youth Sports Trust programme where twelve Sports Leaders and three staff from Nairn visited Malawi last summer. It is hoped that the newly qualified Sports Leaders, trained through the active schools initiative, will get the chance to go to Malawi next summer.