A group of 12 Wyke students are going on the trip of a lifetime to South Africa next summer to work alongside a charity that supports children affected by HIV/AIDS.

The trip has been organised by Mark Rothery, Assistant Principal at Wyke and the response from students has been overwhelming. Students had to make formal letters of application such was the level of interest and the twelve students lucky enough to have been selected have now each got to raise the £1010 needed to pay their way.

Whilst there, the students will be working alongside Botshabelo, a non-profit organisation which cares for over 30,000 children. They will be helping with the construction of a children’s home and the repair of existing facilities as well as taking the children on excursions, such as a safari, which will allow them to enjoy their own environment – something many of them will have never experienced.

One of the students who will be going on the trip is Tali Bentley, a current AS student who is studying Geography, Psychology, Philosophy and Photography. Tali says ‘ The reason I wanted to go on this trip is because I’m keen to work with children and communities in the third world when I leave college. We will be spending half of our time staying with host families and the other half living in the Children’s Home. I think it will be a very emotional experience but I hope we will be able to make a real difference to the lives of these children’.

In order to raise the money needed for the trip Tali and the other students are organising various fundraising events, the first of which will be a gig to be held at college over lunchtime before Christmas. Look out around college for posters about forthcoming events.