TEENAGERS who travelled to the other side of the world as part of a school trip have returned with much more than just memories.

The pupils of Devizes School know that during their time in Peru they made a real difference to poor communities.

Pupil Cora Warren said: "Our project included everything from mixing concrete, making mudbricks and digging irrigation ditches to painting and plastering.

"We were able to see the direct impact our work was going to have on the community throughout, meeting the families who would benefit from it which was extremely rewarding."

The community projects ranged from improving medical centres in remote mountain villages, to digging irrigation ditches to improve farmland water sources.

They also experienced extreme conditions as they spent five days on the Salkantay trek to the ancient Inca ruins of Machu Picchu.

Expedition leaders Helena Cole and Daniel Radbourne said: "This was a challenging, physically exhausting trek, that took the students through their paces.

"They endured blizzards at the dizzying height of 4600M, mosquito bites as they trekked through jungle, and blisters as they traversed rivers and raging waterfalls, over wooden bridges.

"Every single student demonstrated compassion for those less fortunate and displayed a genuine desire to help out and work hard because they understood the importance of the projects and the positive impact they had on the local community.

"There were tears and tantrums along the way but the resilience and grit the students showed was absolutely incredible. A truly unique experience that provided a perfect opportunity for personal growth."

The group visited a number of breath-taking locations, including the floating reed islands of Uros on Lake Titicaca and Colca Canyon, home of the magnificent condor, one of the largest flying animals in the world.

Cora said: "We took part in community development work, environmental projects and wildlife conservation.

"A personal highlight for me was going on a boat trip which included visiting the Uros floating Islands on Lake Titicaca, which are made entirely from interwoven totora reeds that grow in the lake.

"That night we camped on the beach on the island of Taquile. The sky was so clear you could see the Milky Way brightly and there was an amazing lightning storm.

"In the morning we all got up early to watch the sun rise over the lake. Our team also included thirteen students from Plymstock School, allowing us to make some lifelong friends. It was an incredible experience full of laughter and memories that I know none of us will ever forget.”

The youngsters raised money for the trip by doing everything from cake sales to sky dives.