Carol singing helps orphans

9:29am Thursday 5th January 2006

CAROL singing by a group of determined students has helped them raise hundreds of pounds to help orphans in Mongolia.

The pupils from High Wycombe's Royal Grammar School and Pipers Corner School in Great Kingshill, sang and played French horns for more than 30 hours over several sessions in High Wycombe and Marlow.

More than 50 boys from the RGS, in Amersham Road, travelled to Mongolia in July with World Challenge, a group that helps people take on challenging expeditions.

While they were in the Asian country the group visited the Virbist care centre, an orphange dedicated to taking young children off the streets.

The experience left a deep mark on 17-year-old Neil Cottrell, who, with his friends, decided to raise money for the orphans.

He said: "When we were out there we were told that £400 would take a child off the street. The whole of Mongolia is a lot poorer than we are. The amazing thing about the orphans is that they live in the streets and sleep in the sewers. They have nothing at all and the orphange provides for them."

Through their carol marathon the students have so far raised £1,283, but would like to reach the £1,500 mark before they send the money to Mongolia.

Neil said: "We were really surprised and delighted to raise that much. Lots of people from the school came and held buckets for an hour or two and that really helped."