UCLanSport Volunteers of the Year 2015

Five students have been rewarded for their volunteering efforts after being crowned UCLanSport Volunteers of the Year 2015.

Lauren Shrewsbury, Jason Seddon, Brian Tendo, Sam Hough, Joe Scargill and Nathan Lockwood were recognised for their commitment and contribution to society through volunteering at the recent Centre for Volunteering & Community Leadership Awards.

Congratulations and thank you for your efforts from everyone at UCLanSport.

Success for Cycling team at BUCS Championships

UCLan Cycling enjoyed a productive weekend at the BUCS Track Championship 2015 held at the National Cycling Centre in Manchester.

Ryan Whatmough (left), James Claydon and Chris Nicholson secured Bronze in the Men's Team Sprint after a hard-fought race against Strathclyde.

Whatmough also won Silver in the Men's Individual Sprint and Men's Points Race, while Claydon picked up Silver in the Men's Elimination Race.

For more information about the BUCS Cycling programme please click here.

Lancashire Rising Star Fund

UCLanSport and Lancashire Sport Partnership have joined forces once again to offer a cash boost to young sporting hopefuls from across the region.

The Lancashire Rising Star Fund gives young athletes the opportunity to receive a grant to cover costs such as travel, accommodation, training, competition fees and equipment.

On average athletes and their families can spend in excess of £5,000 per year on equipment, training, travelling and other essentials required to compete at the top level in many sports.

Each grant recipient will receive a package of support from UCLan that includes strength and conditioning services, nutritional advice and support and access to UCLan sports and training facilities.

For more information about the scheme and how to apply please click here.

Star athlete leads UCLan's first Color Fun Run

Olympic and Commonwealth athlete Helen Clitheroe led more than 300 people in a fun run that turned Preston into a rainbow of colours.

The first ever UCLan Color Fun saw participants young and old run 5km at UCLan Sports Arena while being showered with brightly coloured powder along the route.

The idea behind the inaugural event was to inspire people of all abilities to get active in a fun and relaxed way.

Helen, who is also a UCLan Honorary Fellow, commented: "I've really enjoyed starting the Color Fun run at UCLan Sports Arena. It's a great cause and great to get people running and having fun at the same time."

The Arena teamed up with cancer charity Marie Curie for the event, with runners raising more than £1,000. Sarah Fletcher, Marie Curie Community Fundraiser for Lancashire, said: "We'd like to say a huge thank you to everybody at UCLan who organised this event to raise money for Marie Curie.

"It was an absolute pleasure to come along and meet many of the organisers and runners on the day - we had such a brilliant time, even though we did return home yellow.

"All the money raised from the Color Fun run will help Marie Curie provide expert care, guidance and support to help people with a terminal illness, and their families, get the most from the time they have left.

"Locally, Marie Curie Nurses work night and day, in people’s homes across Lancashire, providing hands-on care and vital emotional support. Seven out of 10 carers say that people with a terminal illness do not get all the care and support they need.

"As the UK's leading charity for people living with any terminal illness, Marie Curie doesn't think that is good enough and that is why your support is so important to us. Thank you."

It's the first time Preston has ever held a race like this and organisers from UCLan Sports Arena say they're already looking forward to running it again.

Organiser and Sports Motivator Sam Cadwallader said: "The event was a great success and we're delighted that Helen Clitheroe has lent her support to our first ever UCLan Color Fun run. Hopefully this has motivated a lot of local people to stay fit and active."

To view images from the event please click here.

UCLanSport supports This Girl Can

UCLanSport introduced a range of additional activities to our sports facilities this week in support of the #ThisGirlCan and #ThisBUCSGirlCan social media campaigns.

The week has been a great success, with Sir Tom Finnney Sports Centre staging netball tournaments, women's only gym sessions and badminton tournaments which attracted participants in their hundreds.

Our social media channels became a hive of activity during the week with photos and comments on both the additional and regular activities including Zumba, Legs Bums and Tums classes, and Bootcamps.

The release of our This Girl Can video (above) has resulted in a dramatic increase in student engagement and promoted female participation in UCLan's sports activities.

The week's events created a massive buzz amongst UCLan staff and students - we are proud to be involved and champion female participation in sport and physical activity.

BUCS round-up

UCLan Women's Football 1st added the BUCS Northern Conference Cup to their D2A title with a thrilling victory against Durham 2nd.

The girls looked set for a comfortable win after leading 4-0 & 5-2, but the North East team showed great spirit to make it 5-4. Durham pressed hard for an equaliser late in the game, but the UCLan defence held firm to seal the double.

There was heartbreak for UCLan Rugby League 1st as they lost 38-10 in their final against York St John 1st.

UCLan Golf 1st crashed out of the National Championship at the quarter-final stage, losing 6.5-2.5 at home to Loughborough 1st. Our 2nd & 2rd teams also exited their Trophy competition in the last eight, going down to Loughborough 2nd & Exeter 2nd respectively.

Men's Football 5th won 11-0 at home to Cumbria (Ambleside) 5th to complete their season in D7C with a 100% record. Men's Fencing 1st & Men's Hockey 2nd both slipped to defeats.

Men's Rugby Union 1st ended their league campaign with a 24-17 home victory against Edge Hill 1st. Our 2nd team lost 30-12 at home to Manchester Met 3rd, while Women's 1st drew at Cumbria 1st.

BUCS round-up

UCLan Men's Hockey 1st team clinched promotion from BUCS Northern Division 3A after an 8-1 win at home to Edge Hill 1st.

Men's 2nd & Women's 1st lost at home to Chester (Warrington) 1st & Manchester 3rd respectively.

UCLan Rugby League missed out on promotion from Northern D2A despite winning 58-0 at MMU Cheshire 2nd. Chester 1st failed to fulfil their fixture against Sheffield 1st, handing the title to the Yorkshire team.

Men's Rugby Union 2nd retained their 100% record with a 54-0 home victory against Chester 2nd.

Men's Football 5th team sealed promotion from Northern D7C with a 4-0 win at home to UCFB 4th. Men's 1st, 2nd & 3rd were all defeated, but the 4th team triumphed 6-4 at home to Bolton 2nd. Women's 1st lost for the first time this season as they fell 1-0 at Liverpool 1st.

Men's Tennis 1st secured promotion from Northern D2A after a 10-2 success at Manchester 2nd. Men's Badminton 2nd confirmed their promotion from Northern D4A with a 5-3 victory at home to Edge Hill 2nd. The 1st team enjoyed a 6-2 home win against Manchester 2nd.

Men's Table Tennis won 16-1 at home to Sheffield Hallam 2nd, but were denied promotion based on their head-to-head record against York 1st who now move up to Northern D1A.

UCLan Netball 2nd completed their league campaign with a 77-4 win at Bolton 1st.