Chippenham students prepare for African adventure (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Chippenham students prepare for African adventure

12:00pm Saturday 18th February 2012 in Chippenham By Tom Mooney

A group of students from Wiltshire College are set for the trip of a lifetime volunteering in Kenya.

The 14 students from the Chippenham and Trowbridge campuses will be supporting a community in Kenya for 11 days and volunteering on several projects.

The community projects are based in developing areas of Kenya. The students, who study a variety of courses, will be teaching in schools, doing community work with children carrying out sports coaching courses and community building.

They head off in April and the trip gives them the chance to experience a different culture and develop a range of skills.

Lydia Hayward, 19, from Calne is in her second year of studying Childcare and Education Level 3.

She said: “It is such a good opportunity to see a different way of living and the different ways of teaching. I would like to be a teacher and this experience will be amazing.”

Other students embarking on the adventure are studying childcare & education and health & social care. Students from the Trowbridge campus are studying performing arts, public services and catering.

They are raising money for the trip themselves and had planned to hold a table-top sale last week but it was postponed because of the snow.

That has now been rearranged for February 26 and students have organised several other fundraising events, including fancy dress days and a cinema club.

Student liaison officer, Bea Lilley, said: “It will be an indoor car boot sale and we are looking for sellers, who can book a pitch, buyers who will come along on the day, or donations for us to sell on the students’ table.

“We also need prizes for the tombola and cakes for the refreshments stand.”

The event will take place in the sports hall at the Chippenham campus in Cocklebury Road. Tables are available for £5, email bea.

lilley@wiltshire.ac.uk to book.

Sellers should arrive at 9am and buyers at 10am.