FURNITURE sold off from a Swindon show home will be helping rebuild a school devastated by the Boxing Day tsunami.

Crest Nicholson housebuilders are sending £5,000 to Trinconmalee school on the east side of Sri Lanka, most of which has been raised from disposing of furniture and decorations from the Braydon Mead estate to staff members.

The school was chosen because Crest Nicholson's sales and marketing director Lorraine Kendrick was on holiday in Sri Lanka last year, leaving the country on Christmas Day just hours before the earthquake and tsunami struck.

Lorraine said: "By a chance of fate my husband decided to ask for an earlier flight out of Sri Lanka on Christmas Day.

"We wanted to do something to help and through Columbus Tours, who gave us a wonderful two-day tour while we were holidaying there, we were put in touch with the school project."

"Crest Nicholson are also donating school bags containing pens, pencils, rulers and some treats for the children and we are going back to Sri Lanka next month to take those to the school and see how the work is progressing."

Teachers and pupils live in at Triconmalee School as it is in a remote part of the island. The teacher's quarters suffered the most damage and the money sent by Crest Nicholson is helping to pay for the rebuilding work.

Staff at Crest Nichsolson in the south west are also planning a twinning exercise with the school and will send letters and gifts to the children on their birthdays and other important occasions as the project progresses.