My name is Tom and I am trying to raise £6000 to help fund me undertake a year's volunteering in South Africa with a charity called Project Trust. 

Back in August I travelled up to the Island of Coll in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland for a selection course which involved five tough but enjoyable days of training and proving to Project Trust I had the commitment to travel nearly 9000 miles to South Africa to live and work in a local community. 

I have always wanted to travel around the world and have already been to places such as China, Iceland, the US and many more. But when I heard about Project Trust at a school talk I knew I wanted to get involved as it was more than just travelling to see a country, it was also about having the chance to give something back to a disadvantaged community.  South Africa was the country that stood out to me as I have an interest  in the political history of the area, apartheid and Nelson Mandela's imprisonment and emancipation.

Project Trust has been sending volunteers abroad to get involved with important community programmes such as teaching (primary, secondary and TESOL), social care and outward bound since 1967. I will be teaching a primary school class for a year as well as being involved in other local projects. I will be living with local family and although I will get some school holidays this is not a 'gap year' holiday. I know I will be working hard and enjoying myself in the process! 

The hard work starts before I go though as £6000 is a lot of money to  raise in addition to paying for some of my personal costs. I am hoping to do this by a mixture of personal sponsored events and activities, donations and charitable support. For more information follow this link: http://projecttrust.org.uk/fundraising/

Any help you can give me will be very much appreciated. If you have any suggestions to help me reach my goal please do let me know and feel free to get in contact at any point.

Many, many thanks

Tom