Ref. 26052-01STRATTON St Margaret student Jodie Clarke is appealing to businesses in Swindon for sponsorship for her trip to help disabled children in Romania.

Jodie, 20 is currently studying psychology at the University of the West of England in Bristol and hopes to graduate next year.

In late July next year, she plans to travel to the city of Sibiu in central Romania to work as a volunteer in a home called Little John's House.

It was set up in 1993 to provide a secure home for Ionut Balan, a Romanian boy who had earlier been invited to Devon to receive expert medical treatment. It is now a permanent home to five physically and mentally disabled children.

During the summer, more children are invited to the home for a summer school. This is what Jodie will be asked to help with for six weeks.

Her work will be constant. The home has electricity but no running water supply

Jodie said: "It would be great if companies and other or-ganisations across the town could help me travel to Romania.

"It is an extremely exciting project to be involved in and I hope I can work with businesses to get the money together. It's something I have always wanted to do."

The work will come as no surprise to Jodie. She has worked in a number of respite homes here in Swindon and in Bristol and has a rough idea of what to expect.

She said: "I suppose I am prepared for what I find out there, but I have no idea how the severe the disabilities are. Over here we have all the equipment needed to care for these people but over there, there is little available which will make the job harder."

If you can help Jodie with her Romania trip, email her on jodieclarke2@hotmail.com.