A teacher from Staverton is to take up a new teaching post in the Dominican Republic.

Jeanne Bergin, 51, has taught at Staverton Primary School for 11 years, but is lending her teaching experience to a small, poverty-stricken community in the Caribbean for two years.

She is volunteering in aid of the national charity Community Partners Association, which was founded by two Wiltshire pensioners, Sebert and Doreen Lane.

COPA run child sponsorship schemes on the Caribbean island and have built a school and two medical centres.

Mrs Bergin joined the committee of COPA after hearing a talk by Mr Lane at Seend Methodist Church.

She said: "My experience as a teacher will certainly be invaluable but I'm going to find the needs of those children very different to those of my children in Wiltshire. I will have to learn about a whole new culture and how it impacts on their lives."

Mrs Bergin has two grown up sons but after her marriage broke down last year decided it was time to follow in her children's footsteps and take the plunge to travel abroad.

She said: "I shall miss my family very much, and my church.but my sons are proud of what I am doing and said 'go for it mum.'"