YOUNG Swindonians will be visiting Kenya to help a charity build a medical centre and raise awareness about AIDS.

They are paying for their own flights and expenses during the six-week trip but want companies or individuals to help raise another £4,000 for the cost of the medical centre.

Sarayana Little, 19, the main organiser of the trip, will be accompanied by her dad John Little, 52, her sister Alice Little, 17, and 19-year-old Lydia Burles, who is studying at Leeds University. Also going with her are New College first year students Ruth Clarke, Katy Godwin, Michelle Clarke, Nicola Johnson, James Horsnall, John Deacon, Emily Danvers and Alistair Smith. They are all 17.

Sarayana, who studies at Oxford University, first visited Kenya last year to do voluntary work with Jesus and Me (JAM), a community project that works against the effects of AIDS.

She said: "It will be a great experience for all of us but it is really worthwhile when you see what a difference you can make. So little can go so far over there and people going in from outside actually shows them that we care."

She and her companions will be returning to Oyugis in west Kenya near Lake Victoria to help local volunteers in their fight against poverty and ill-health.

They have already started fundraising by doing collections in the town centre but still have much more to raise before their departure date on July 6.