A WOLLASTON school has spent six years tirelessly fundraising to improve the lives of people in Gambia.

Ridgewood High School on Park Road West has been involved in Project Gambia since 2007, which initially gave students, staff and members of the community chance to travel to the West African country for a week each year.

During their visits they would experience life in a developing country, develop an understanding of world poverty and appreciate the benefits of the society in which they live.

But over the years, the school’s involvement has increased and during its more recent visits, students have worked in two schools built by UK charity Newlife Children’s Centres to deliver a range of activities including art and craft, sport, music, drama.

Students have also painted and refurbished the inside and outside of both schools and raised more than £30,000 to provide the schools with equipment and resources.

Recently the school handed over a cheque for £3,000 to the charity, which will go towards the building of a new school.

The approximate cost of the building is £150,000 and work is expected to begin towards the end of 2014.

But the school’s bid to help those less fortunate does not end there.

Earlier this year, students and staff went to Gambia and distributed more than 90 solar lights to families as many homes do not have electricity and rely on candlelight.

The day before the school arrived, a fallen candle had set fire to a house, which drummed home the importance of alternative lighting.

With this in mind, the school is currently raising funds to buy 300 light bulbs for the village of Sintet.

School uniforms and shoes were also due to be sent by the school to Gambia on Thursday July 25 for distribution at Sintet Primary School - a poor village in western Gambia.

Year nine students were given a challenge to turn £1 into £10 and raise the £500 needed to send the clothes to the school.

Students came up with a range of ideas, including washing cars, selling soft drinks, cakes and calendars and doing odd jobs but the final total is not yet known.

Any money left over will be saved for the school’s trip in 2014 and will be used to buy solar lights, rice, mosquito nets and resources for schools.

Bev Hodt, assistant headteacher and Project Gambia leader, said: “The uniforms will make a huge difference to Sintet Primary School.

“Our students have been very busy raising funds to pay for the shipment and many of them will be able to meet the children at Sintet when they visit Gambia in April 2014.”