A WEST Devon man is raising money to fund a volunteering trip to Nigeria, where he is hoping to work in the fight against poverty.

Teddy Searight from Chillaton recently ran the Plymouth 10k road race and also plans to organise a charity raffle, offer gardening services to locals and hold a stall and tombola in Tavistock Pannier market to raise money for the trip.

The trip is organised by VSO-ICS (Voluntary Service Overseas – International Citizens Service), a UK government funded programme that gives anyone aged 18-25 an opportunity to spend ten to twelve weeks volunteering abroad in Africa or Asia.

Working alongside in-country volunteers, UK volunteers will contribute directly to genuine VSO development projects.

Teddy, who recently finished his masters degree in international development at the University of Sheffield, said he wanted to take part in the trip because it is part of the International Citizens’ Service.

He said: ‘I’m doing it to experience another culture and make a difference to the lives of those less fortunate than myself.

‘International devel-opment is what I want to do as a career, so the volunteering will be a springboard to my career. I also like working and travelling abroad.

‘I had worked abroad before as a volunteer in India but this trip will be a rural development project so quite a different experience. I know that when they had completed projects related to livelihood in the past, people built wells but I won’t know what I’m doing till I get there and can work out what is needed in the community.’

Teddy will travel to Ilesa in Nigeria on February 1 and return to the UK on April 24.

He will work as part of a team of young British and Nigerian volunteers, living within the community and helping to support disadvantaged groups to increase their economic opportunities, such as improving technical skills for farming and strengthening access to agricultural markets.

Contact Teddy at [email protected] or phone 01822 860148 for more information or visit his JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/EdwardSearight/