The Bishop Barrington students first wrote to the African children, after former solicitor Tim Bittlestone from Durham came into school to give talks, to Year 7 students, about his adventures in Africa where he helped teach orphans, suffering with the HIV/AIDS virus, in Uganda.

He showed them letters from the children, asking for British pen friends. Besides writing to the children, who live at an in-patient centre for orphans in Mpigi, run by the charity Aid Child, the students also donated books, jigsaw puzzles and other equipment for the children.

Lynne Walker, head of PSHE and Citizenship, said:

The children were really pleased to receive the letters. One child wrote asking if we could please send him some English text books so he could improve his English. Another child wrote, saying that snow sounds like fun – one of our children had written about playing in the snow and had enclosed a photo.

The students, who are now in Year 8, are to keep in touch with their African pen pals.

To raise funds for Comic Relief, which takes place on 16th March, teacher Lynne Walker has asked PSHE students, in Years 7 to 10, to work together in pairs or groups of up to four students, and take up a challenge for each team to raise £10 for Comic Relief.