A STOURBRIDGE family have recently visited India to hand out more than £1,000 to feed disadvantaged children.

Pam Batta and her children Shaam and Nayan, of Goldfinch Road, Pedmore, went out to Delhi and while they were there passed the over money and gifts they collected.

Students at the Knoll School in Kidderminster, where Nayan attends, raised more than £700 of the funds through donations and a book sale.

Pam said: “Spending the last three and a half weeks with my children in India has been one of the most memorable, rewarding and enjoyable experiences.

“Initially what started off as a family holiday, soon evolved into a charity mission across many miles.

“Our first leg of spreading goodwill was carried out in a number of areas just outside of New Delhi, where we handed out more than 500 meals to families living in semi-permanent shelters.

“The families were eager to take whatever we were sharing and the children wore the heart badges made by the children of the Knoll with pride.

“They were keen to show off their loom band bracelets, which we handed over with tubs of hot food and packets of biscuits, which seemed to be a luxury treat.”

The family also visited a small village in Hoshiapur, where they funded a £200 hand water pump at the village school, so the children would have access to fresh water.

They also purchased jute matting for the children to sit on while having their lunch and donated money to five pupils to purchase books to help them with their school work.

Pam added: “Although, I had tried to prepare my children to what they would witness and having seen such scenes many a time on television, seeing it in reality first hand and experiencing people with their hands out in eager anticipation was a hard hitting truth.”