A FORMER Tavistock College student is rowing the distance across Lake Victoria in Africa, to raise money for charity.

Kit Tigwell, a medical student at The University of Nottingham, is fundraising for the Kenyan Orphan Project (KOP) in preparation for travelling to Kenya this summer to assist in its work.

The 249-mile rowing challenge covers the equivalent distance across Latvia, or from Tavistock to Leeds. Fitting in sessions around work, Kit is on track to complete the distance after 34 hours of rowing over several days.

Kit said: 'I'd like to thank everyone who has supported me during this challenge and made donations — your contributions will make a huge difference to the work that KOP does.

'Thanks also to the Lions club of Tavistock for their support and to Tavistock Community Sports Centre, who have kindly let me use their rowing machines free of charge.

'I'm really looking forward to visiting Kenya in the summer and seeing how the funds you have helped raise are put to good use.'

The Kenyan Orphan Project is a national charity set up by medical students at Nottingham and works with more than 1,400 vulnerable children in the Nyanza province of western Kenya.

The charity focuses on improving their lives and future prospects through access to healthcare, education and welfare and works at grass-roots level alongside communities who are then able to take projects forward themselves.

To date KOP has been involved in establishing a hospital, health clinic, numerous primary and secondary schools, community feeding centres and a rehabilitation centre for street children, along with many other ongoing projects.

Through its student programme, KOP inspires students from 14 universities across the UK to advocate change.

Students make up the majority of the charity's volunteers and fundraisers and together raised an incredible £117,000 last year.