STUDENTS at Ballard School have raised more than £12,000 to help develop two Kenyan communities.

Since 2006 the pupils have been involved in fund raising to allow them to travel to Sasenyi and Imani in the Tsavo National Park.

There they have been involved in community projects such as clearing bush track, digging foundations for classrooms,planting trees and helping local craftsmen.

As a reward for the student’s hard-work, the expeditions have also included other once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as the opportunity to go on a safari in Tsavo East and a PADI open water scuba-diving course.

The most recent expedition took place in August of this year and marked the school’s fifth expedition in nine years.

Leader of the expedition and head of science at Ballard School, Nick Hall, has said:"It has been an honour to be involved with these expeditions over the past nine years. We have developed a very close relationship with the communities we have worked with, and the Ballard pupils now have a reputation as being the hardest working team that travel to Kenya.

"With each expedition we have seen our students fly out as young school pupils but return as mature young adults. I am delighted to be celebrating nine years of expeditions and I thoroughly look forward to the next nine; as our pupils continue to do us proud."