A Leeds Beckett University student plans to put her degree into practice this summer by helping to change children’s lives in Uganda.
VOLUNTEER: Playwork student Ana Ardelean.
Ana Ardelean is in her final year of her ‘Playwork’ degree – which covers all aspects of children at play and the roles of those who work with them.
In August she hopes to travel to Uganda for a month-long volunteering trip to build a playground for a school and is now fundraising to help meet the costs of the project.
She said: “I am passionate about children and play. I believe that we are built to play and built through play, although as adults we tend to forget that.
“I have been working in the field of playwork for over 10 years and I am still as excited about it as I was on my first day of work – in fact, so excited, that I have decided to share it with the world.”
She will work in Uganda with UK charity East African Playgrounds, which has built over 100 playgrounds in eastern Africa since it was founded in 2009. Ana said: “As a volunteer in Uganda, I will not only build a playground for an entire community but would also actively engage children in play and art activities as well as raising awareness on the importance of play and how adults can support it for children’s positive development.
“It is truly a wonderful volunteering opportunity which creates a global ripple effect in that I plan to pass my acquired skills on to UK communities through free training and start a DIY playground movement, which I am as passionate about as my own work.”
To donate, visit https://www.gofundme.com/help-me-build-a-playground