Newark young woman of Beacon Hill is improving lives of the community in Kirkby in Ashfield after ‘life-changing’ experience in Uganda

A young woman form Newark is helping improve families lives through sport after finding her passion thanks to a ‘life-changing experience’ in Uganda.

Millie Stott, of Beacon Hill, implemented a sports programme at a school in Uganda and is now using her passion for sports to lead family-focused sessions in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, with a focus on mental health.

After finishing school, Millie worked at Marks and Spencer’s, which left her feeling uninspired about what to do next as most of her friends were going to university — until the opportunity to volunteer abroad with Uganda Lodge presented itself.

She said that she chose to volunteer in Uganda because the charity offered opportunities to help develop health, education, infrastructure, and poverty alleviation in the country.

Millie wanted to create a project or Ugandan children that would fit in with the school curriculum and noticed that sport was not implemented in the timetable, meaning students would be sat for eight hours without moving their bodies.

“Uganda Lodge frequently posted about their charity and their fascinating story on social media, and after some research, I felt that I could contribute to meaningful change by teaching sport to children and the local community,” she said.

“I liked the fact that it was a tight-knit community that would come together and lift one another.

“Volunteering in Uganda was a life-changing experience for me that broadened my perspectives and enhanced my personal growth.”

After implementing the sports programme into the student’s timetable, Millie realised her passion for sports and started thinking outside the box as she wanted to work within the community once she returned home.

She added: “In my personal life, I am very active and find thorough enjoyment out of exercise so I thought I would try and create an opportunity for others to enjoy it too.

“The school were very accommodating of this and allowed me to add PE into the timetable as they could see the benefits it was having in the children's health and attention span.”

Back in England, she applied for a sports coaching apprenticeship with national charity Coach Core and chose to work for the Academy Transformation Trust Further Education College.

A year into her apprenticeship, Millie delivers a range of sessions in the community at CoxMoor Estate, on Kirkby in Ashfield, all of which aim to improve wellbeing and create a safe space for families.

She said: “There are so many different ways to get people moving or physically active; it’s not always about big team sports, even going for a walk and talking about mental health is really positive.

“For our sessions that involve children, we focus on the game aspect of sport rather than technique or performance. We’re equipping them with games that they can replicate with their friends in the local park.

“It’s all about creating positive experiences with moving their bodies.

“At the start a lot of people didn’t listen to me. I was just a 20-year-old, and they thought I couldn’t relate to them.

“The best thing I did is say — you know what, you’re right, you teach me, tell me what’s it’s like— and I think that made me more approachable and encouraged people to speak with me.”