UNWANTED school desks from Worcestershire are being shipped to children in Africa.

Tables, chairs, whiteboards, cupboards and filing cabinets no longer needed by youngsters being taught in Stouport-on-Severn, due to the merge of the Arley Common, Windmill Middle and Windmill Primary Schools, are being sent to the Gambia, west Africa, where vulnerable children are getting vital education thanks to Worcester-based charity Fresh Start Foundation (FSF).

Established in 2006, FSF is helping orphaned and exploited children living in the Gambia regain control of their lives. Founders Lamin and Rebecca Daffeh, of Rainbow Hill, Worcester, are currently trying to raise £10,000, money which will enable them to start building a brand new school in the town of Serekunda.

Ian Gwilliam, a school governor in Stourport, came up with the idea of donating the unwanted school furniture to FSF.

He said: "It's a golden opportunity. We've got wash basins, tables, chairs, whiteboards, cupboards, fling cabinets, all sorts that we couldn't use anymore.

"It's hard work getting it ready but it's far more preferable to dumping it all in a skip."

It took three days and a lot of man-power to get the furniture out of the school buildings and into storage ready for it to be shipped to the Gambia in March.

The charity is now appealing for the £2,500 it will cost to ship the container over.

For details www.fsfgambia.org or call 07859 927472.