A GAP year student will teach English and fly vital equipment to orphans thousands of miles away.

Sophie Vanessa Jones, 18, of Delves Walk, Great Boughton, Chester will be leaving on January 8 for Chiang Rai, a northern province in Thailand, to take part in volunteer work with orphans and high school children for nearly five months.

Sophie, who completed her A-Levels at Christleton High School in June, said: “I will be looking after children in an orphanage in Chiang Rai mainly consisting of ‘Hill Tribe’ children, who are a minority ethnic group with a traditional way of life but don’t have the same opportunities for education.”

Sophie is going with an organisation called Changing Worlds who specialise in gap years. The project has cost £2,749 with one third a donation, another third for accommodation, meals and flights and the rest to keep their offices running.

Sophie added: “I have been asked by ‘Changing Worlds’ to ship over learning materials such as simple childrens books, paints and brushes and stationary as the orphanage has little supplies of its own and try to teach them some English as well as generally looking after them.

“We will receive basic Thai lessons during orientation and the rest of our stay so hopefully communication will not prove too diffficult!”

“To imagine a child having experienced so much grief and witnessed so many awful things so young is hard as we don’t see things like this in the UK.

“The project I will be involved in provides a safe home, education and meals for the children.”

A pub quiz in Ye Olde Kings Head, Lower Bridge Street raised funds for learning supplies and materials for the children.

Sophie added: “I’m hoping to raise £500-£1,000 in total, so if you wish to donate to the fund it would make a big difference.”

Contact 07894819090 to donate towards Sophie’s trip.