A HEREFORD teenager will fulfil a lifetime’s ambition when he heads to Uganda to help build a school.

But for student James Day, the experience will also help him to get on in his chosen career.

The 17-year-old is studying for a National Diploma in construction at Worcester College of Technology and has a part-time labouring job in Malvern.

As a pupil at the Bishop of Hereford’s Bluecoat School, James missed out on a trip to Africa, so when he heard about charity Mission Direct’s work in Uganda he jumped at the chance.

“Rather than sending money out to Africa, Mission Direct send teams of people to help build schools, centres etc,” said James.

“There is a lot of building work involved, which will be good experience for me in terms of my career.

“I will be helping out at a school near Kampala, the capital of Uganda.

“We will be working on a huge building which acts both as a classroom and as accommodation because they have so many homeless children.” James said he heard about the charity trip through a Christian youth group in Bristol attended by his girlfriend, Kate Reynolds.

“I signed up right away. It is something I have always wanted to do,” he added.

For more information on Mission Direct’s work go to missiondirect.org