A TEACHER from Malvern is to take time out from her local school to help children throughout the world.

Alison Roy, of The Fruitlands, is taking a 12-month break to travel the planet. Along her way, she will help to build a resource centre for youngsters in Sri Lanka, teach in Thailand and do humanitarian work in Equador with the British Red Cross.

The 33-year-old, who works at Millfields First School in Bromsgrove, said: "The first thing I am doing is volunteering to help provide a resource centre for rural children in Uda Walawe, Sri Lanka.

"The project is part of the UK registered charity AidCamps International, and fifteen others from Britain and Ireland have been raising funds for building the resource centre on behalf of the cause.

"I was due to go out to Sri Lanka on Boxing Day 2004 and, of course, I never went because of the tsunami. This centre is mainly for children affected by that disaster and aims to help them with their education.

"It will take us about three weeks to build the centre and then I will go elsewhere in Sri Lanka for a month for another, similar, project.

"I have wanted to travel the world for a while now, and while some of the year will be just leisure time, I wanted to do some good too."

Alison, and other volunteers, will travel to Uda Walawe in Sri Lanka on August 3. She has personally donated £515 towards the minimum donation of £715 for both projects in the country and is looking for help in funding the remaining £300. She also has to pay for her own travel and living expenses.

Alison is also looking for speakers of Sinhalese living in the Malvern area who might be willing to teach her some of the language before she goes to Sri Lanka.

Anyone who can help should log onto www.aidcamps.org/aliroy.