By ADAM LAZZARI TWENTY school pupils have raised an amazing �7,500 to help some of the world s poorest children in Malawi. The year 10 and 11 pupils of Marshland High School, Wisbech will travel to the south east African country and spend three weeks, fro

By ADAM LAZZARI

TWENTY school pupils have raised an amazing �7,500 to help some of the world's poorest children in Malawi.

The year 10 and 11 pupils of Marshland High School, Wisbech will travel to the south east African country and spend three weeks, from July 3, helping to build classrooms and improve facilities in the town of Nkhotakota.

The children, aged 15 and 16, are the seventh to be nominated for a Kids Are Alright award.

Winners are awarded �50 of high street shopping vouchers.

Assistant head teacher Julia Adams, who will be joining the pupils on the trip, said, if they won, the money would be spent on items for the children in Malawi.

She said: "The Marshland pupils have really thrown themselves into the project and taken a leading role in organising fund-raising events.

"They are extremely excited about the trip and have shown a real passion to help these under-privileged children."

Fund-raising activities started in September.

The Malawi project began in 1997 at the, then, Henry Gotch Comprehensive School, Kettering.

The following year a partnership was set up with two schools in Malawi - Nkhotakota Secondary School and Linga Primary School.

Caroline Hansford took the project to the Wisbech school in 2003.

She is a former teacher at Marshland High and she now teaches at Hinchingbrooke School, Huntingdon, and one of the two schools visits Malawi each year.

This year's trip has been boosted by the support of Wisbech Town Football Club.

The club has given the Marshland pupils old football kits to take with them to give to the Malawian school children.

Roy McManus, former Wisbech Town manager, said that since the club moved to Outwell they had a clear out, which meant they could donate surplus kits to worthy causes.

All of the money raised will help the people in Malawi and each pupil is responsible for paying for their own flight.

n Send your Kids Are Alright nominations to Adam Lazzari, 51 High Street, March, PE15 9JJ, or e mail: adam.lazzari@archant.co.uk, leaving yours and your nominee's contact details.