A GRANDMOTHER will lead a team of volunteers on a trip to Zambia to help the school she runs in a shanty town there.

Shorne resident Wendy Ely established Hands of Compassion school for poor children in north Zambia in March 2001, and it now has around 500 pupils and is a registered charity.

The 63-year-old will lead three volunteers on a two week project at the school from the end of August, where they will paint classrooms and spend time with the children.

The grandmother of two, who oversees the running of the school from her home in Tanyard Hill, said: “The trip will be an opportunity for the volunteers to experience the real Africa and help the children they meet achieve a brighter future.”

Each volunteer has paid for the cost of the trip, around £1,800, themself and raised sponsorship money for Hands of Compassion.

For more information on the charity, go to handsofcompassion.org.uk