A COUPLE from Tavistock, who have pledged to raise £100,000 to support the charity Orphans in the Wild, are hoping West Devon residents will support a fantastic fundraising draw.

Bob and Elaine Prior visited Tanzania in 2009 to see the work being done there by their friends and part–time neighbours, Vicky and Geoff Fox.

Having emigrated from Devon 50 years ago, the couple had already created a long-established safari business and accom-panying NGO Foxes Community and Wildlife Trust.

But during their decades in Africa they began to feel there was another cause that needed their help.

Deeply affected by the plight of orphaned children, victims of the AIDS epidemic in the thirteenth poorest country in the world, they set up another charity to give these children both a childhood and a future.

Orphans in the Wild is now immersed in the community and has achieved a large amount, refurbishing and extending two hospitals, building five homes for orphans and houses in the villages for the elderly grandmothers who care for the orphans. They have also built schoolrooms and even a community hall. 

The Priors were immensely touched by what they had seen during their trip, so when Vicky and Geoff returned to Tavistock for a brief visit, Bob found himself promising to support their latest appeal — ambulances to help deliver triage and transport patients to their hospitals.

Elaine Prior is a strong believer in the work being done by Orphans in the Wild.

She said: 'The clearly communicated vision of Geoff and Vicky Fox and their holistic approach to supporting this rural community has bought about such positive results in a relatively short time frame and enabled so much to be achieved with so little, with one hundred per cent of the money raised going directly to the causes it continues to support.'

At the end of November, Bob and Elaine Prior left for Tanzania once again.  This time they will catch up with a 1975 ex-Army Land Rover Ambulance which has already been shipped to Africa.

The Priors are continuing to fundraise to meet the cost of the vehicles, with a target of £100,000.

As part of their fundraising, they are offering a prize draw, in which all entrants have a chance to win a ten-day trip for two to Africa, to include a three-day safari at one of the Fox's camps.

There are 5,000 tickets available, worth £20 each. The more each individual donates, the more chance they have at winning this once in a lifetime trip.

The appeal takes place throughout 2014 but to make a donation now and enter the prize draw visit http://www.mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/ambulanceappeal">www.mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/ambulanceappeal or to track the Priors' journey and understand more about where the money raised will be going visit http://www.facebook">www.facebook. com/ambulanceappeal