AQUA Africa, a fundraising aqua session held at Meadowlands Leisure Pool last month, raised £106.80, which will go towards helping a Tavistock student do voluntary work in Africa.

Mia Thomas, 18, from Tavistock, is aiming travel to Malawi to work in an orphanage there with Project Trust, a charity that helps young people go abroad to experience and contribute to a new culture by immersing themselves in it completely.

Mia is studying her chemistry, biology, maths and history A-levels at Tavistock College and has been offered a place to study medicine at Bristol upon her return from Malawi.

She said: 'I'm so grateful for the help and support from everyone involved in the Aqua Africa session. I hope to travel to Malawi at the end of the summer to work in an orphanage in Malawi, where I'll be looking after and teaching vulnerable children.

'Education is vital in Malawi to counteract the terrible poverty there. Getting involved with Project Trust will enable me to help people in a way I have always wanted to and give me vital experience and insight into what working in difficult conditions is like, which I hope will help me with my ambition to work for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) and ultimately I hope it will help me become a better doctor.'

Dave Smith, business manager at Meadowlands Leisure Pool, said: 'We were so pleased to have been able to help Mia with her fundraising.

'It's fantastic to see a member of our local community with such drive and enthusiasm for their future career. Everyone at Meadowlands wishes Mia the best in Malawi.'