Hullavington nurse Sarah Bolton is preparing to help Sri Lankan doctors and patients struck by the tsunami disaster by donating over £2,000 of hospital equipment.

She will buy basic lifesaving equipment for the hospital such as gloves, ophthalmic devices and breathing machines when she and her daughter Rosie and boss Lynne Bowman spend nine days in the southern seaside resort of Bentota from May 21.

The 44-year-old staff nurse from Belfry Drive, who had just returned with her family from a two-week holiday to the island in November sprang into action after watching the horrific images last Christmas.

"I remember waking up on December 26 and a friend rang me up to tell me the news. I felt sick. Although we didn't know them that well, we felt we belonged there because the Sri Lanka people were so friendly to us. There was a real sense of mourning in the family."

During her holiday in Bentota, Mrs Bolton noticed a dilapidated hospital near her hotel.

After returning home the mother-of-three decided to help by setting up a standing order to the hospital.

The process was underway when the tsunami struck. Mrs Bolton had already told colleagues at Tetbury Hospital that she wanted to help.

Rather than sending money to an appeal, ward sister Jan Cutler told Mrs Bolton the nurses wanted to fulfil her plan of refurbishing the hospital, as a hand of friendship from one hospital to another.

By February the caring team had raised over £2,000 by doing a sponsored slim and holding a coffee morning.

Sir William Romney School in Tetbury, which had already raised £1,000 for the tsunami appeal have also joined Malmesbury School in pledging to help Mrs Bolton's cause.

If you want to help, please call Sarah Bolton on (01666) 837997.