TAVISTOCK-based charity the Santa Rosa Fund is looking for new recruits to help with its work in Nicaragua, Central America.

To attract new volunteers, especially younger people, the trust is holding a special evening at the Rundle Room in Tavistock Town Hall on Friday, October 25, at 7pm, when past volunteers will be sharing their experiences with the public.

The fund is a registered charity which supports educational projects and initiatives in the country of Nicaragua. It works particularly in areas where poverty levels are high.

The projects that it supports include the Santa Rosa School in Managua, (Nicaragua's capital city); a street children's support organisation in Nicaragua; an organisation which helps the children who work on Managua's landfill dump; a number of remote rural schools in the north-west of the country; a centre for people with learning and physical difficulties; a youth centre in the town of El Viejo and a number of educational programmes run by a Spanish order of nuns in the Cosiguina Peninsula of Nicaragua.

One of the chariy's founders, Martin Mowforth, told the Times: 'The fund has no employees and is proud of the fact that a very high proportion of the money it raises is sent out to support the projects.

'Santa Rosa Fund does not raise money to support volunteers who we send out to our partner projects in Nicaragua. We help them in every way we can and we reduce the level of risk that may be associated with their travel.

'But the money raised by the Santa Rosa Fund goes to support our partner projects in Nicaragua.

'Volunteers therefore have to raise their own funds to support themselves during their stay and work in the country.'

Martin stressed: 'We are not in the business of supporting relatively wealthy UK citizens in their quest for rich experiences in the Third World. Rather, we are in the business of raising funds to support educational initiatives that will help relatively poor people lift themselves out of poverty.'

One of the volunteers who will be retelling his experiences at the presentation evening will be James Watson from Tavistock.

Former Tavistock College student James, now in his mid-20s, spent a month at Santa Rosa School in Managua, training members of staff how to use the computers that had been provided by the British Embassy and SRF.

James enjoyed the experience so much he returned to Central America last year, to follow the progress of the computing project he set up.

Another former Tavistock College student, Rosie Mayston, who is now a trustee of the SRF, worked in Belize on a sex education classes for local Mayan women.

The entry to the special volunteer evening at Tavistock Town Hall is £5, although free for students, and it will include Mexican food and other refreshments and a bar will be available.

For bookings for the evening call Pat on 01822 840297 or Jackie on 01822 841676; for more information on the Santa Rosa Fund call Martin Mowforth on 01752 585993 or email [email protected]">[email protected]

l Pictured above is former volunteer James Watson with a group of teachers at the Santa Rosa School in Managua.