Lisneal pupils enjoy sporting event in Jordan

Fourth Year pupils Chelsea Brown, 15, and Hayley Boyd, 14, who worked as young leaders during their five-day stay, and who worked to help co-ordinate a sports festival, were part of a party of 10 young people from Northern ireland to travel to Jordan from September 19 to 23 under the programme, which is a key strand of the legacy of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Another kay strand of the initiative is to provide high-quality physical education, sport and play opportunities to children and young people around the world.

As part of International Inspiration schools across the UK are linked with countries which are part of the programme which offer young people the chance to learn about other cultures and meet other people of their own age group.

The young people have the opportunity to work together on projects and activities designed to enhance their delivery of PE and sport and it is something they can then share with other young people in their school or community on their return home.

During their five-day trip to Jordan Hayley and Chelsea helped co-ordinate a sports festival for primary school children, and also managed a few visits to sites of interest - including a Roman Amphitheatre, a memorial to Moses and visiting the home of the British Consul.

Chelsea and Hayley were asked to participate in the programme by vice-principal Alan Rowan, and Chelsea revealed that among the activities they organised for the children were shoot-out, bowling and target practice.

Both girls said they immensely enjoyed their Jordanian trip, and enjoyed the fact that they got to sample a different diet.

"We ate a lot of pasta and stuff like that. There was pizza and a lot of different types of bread. The food was more spicy," said Hayley.

The heat was also markedly different from home, with temperatures never falling below the 30-degree mark, and the prerequisite for women to be more modest in the way they dressed meant the female delegates did not wear shorts or sports skirts and opted instead for fully covered legs and torso.

"We were not allowed to wear shorts or stuff like that but we were allowed to wear short sleeves," said Hayley.

According to Chelsea, the group with which they were 'twinned' in Jordan was affiliated to a military school, and she and Hayley were the first girls ever to visit, which made them aware of their conduct, particularly as they were stared at intently by some of the host pupils in the military school.

Now that they are home the pair have to work on a powerpoint presentation which they will present to their class, year group and ultimately the whole school.

The work that they and the other pupils had to do is aimed at helping them develop an understanding of each other's customs and cultures and helps to promote a positive attitude to difference. It also means they open themselves to learning new skills like team building, communication, problem solving, ICT and creative skills and playing and leading sports activities.