Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page!

I'm Sophie Collins and I will be leaving Sixth Form in 2010, then going on to do a full year abroad 2010/11.

For my gap year, I have been selected as a volunteer for the organisation Project Trust, which is an educational charity that has been sending volunteers abroad since 1967. Project Trust are based on the inner Hebridean island of Coll; as part of the volunteer selection process, I had to travel alone to Coll (quite a challenge in itself!) in order to attend a four day selection course which involved activities ranging from presenting a ten minute lesson to digging potato beds!

I have been selected as a volunteer for Uganda! Where I will be teaching English (amongst other things!) to pupils ranging from primary and secondary school ages in basic conditions with limited resources.

Uganda is known as the 'Pearl of Africa', with it's iconic red soil, lush savannah and thick forests. Uganda is also the home to the source of the River Nile and part of the country is located on the shores of Lake Victoria.

In order for me to embark on my gap year, I have a fundraising target of £4,850. This amount covers flights, medical insurance, training, support, accommodation and food while abroad. To reach my target, I plan on holding numerous sponsored activities, cake sales, car boot sales and fundraising events such as parties and gigs. Details of which will be on my Facebook Group ( http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=196837509224&ref=mf )

The actual cost to Project Trust of sending a volunteer abroad is around £5,500, however volunteers are only required to fundraise part of this amount and Project Trust will raise the additional funds. Furthermore, I will be required to separately fund my visa, medical costs (such as inoculations), any equipment I may require along with any travelling I may do during my free time (all of which is at my own expense).

I feel that a gap year with Project Trust will be one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. I want to do something different with my gap year, and if at the end of my year in Uganda I feel that I helped change someone's life for the better in any way, big or small, then I will be hugely happy.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

A donation of £13.30 pays for an entire day of my year abroad. However, any donations, big or small, would be hugely appreciated and a great help!

Thanks for reading,

Soph x