DOCTOR'S daughter Sarah Osborn is raising money to fund a 12 week charity project in Africa helping to improve health and education.

Sarah, 18, from Market Lavington, near Devizes, will be going with the Christian relief charity Tearfund and will be raising money by selling goods at Christmas fairs, putting on a pop-up restaurant and making a cook book. She will also do a sponsored run.

She said: "We will be going to South Africa for 12 weeks from January onwards, aiming to improve health awareness, upskill the individuals in the community, and educate the younger people living in the area.

As part of the project, each volunteer is asked to fundraise. This money goes to the projects, not our travel and training as this is covered by the government through the International Citizen Service."

Sarah, who is former pupil of Dauntsey Aided Primary School in Market Lavington and St Augustine's in Trowbridge, had her own education at sixth form level at Dauntsey School, West Lavington disrupted by illness.

She said: "I was unfortunately ill over the course of my teenage years with Anorexia, but have since recovered, and am now taking part in the nation wide training of clinicians for community care of eating disorders. This involves conferences up and down the country with other young people to help shape the future of eating disorder care."

Her mother Dr Helen Osborn is a GP and started the Courtyard Surgery in West Lavington while her father Colin Osborn is a stalwart of many groups in the village including the parish council and scouts.

Sarah, who is using her gap year for the African trip, which will also include an extra six weeks in Zimbabwe, is a volunteers at her old primary school.

She said: "After South Africa in January, I will be spending six weeks in Zimbabwe. This is an independently organised trip with the ministry of health to help out in the hospital and clinics of Harare. Then, by September, I hope to be studying psychology at university, with the intention of post-grad medicine."

Last year she took part in the Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race and earlier this year she did a Tough Mudder challenge to raise money for Help For Heroes and refugees living in Calais.