PUPILS from the Gwernyfed High School stepped into the national spotlight for the second time in as many weeks last Thursday (May 29) for an appearance at Hay Festival.

Sixth form students joined local doctors Julie Grigg and Paul Metcalfe, teacher Steve Williams and midwife Rachel Giaccone for an hour-long talk on various projects brought about by Hay’s twinning with Timbuktu in 2007.

It followed the screening of a BBC2 documentary the week before which followed the teenagers on a visit to the West African city earlier in the year.

All involved explained to their audience the educational and health-related challenges experienced by Timbuktu and how, since the twinning, several organisations, including Medics4Timbuktu and craft co-operative Jump4Timbuktu, to help.

Laura Tofarides, Emma Brown, Ollie Lewis and Ellie Sturgeon from Gwernyfed also read extracts from diaries they kept during their visit as part of the TV project.

Mr Williams said: “We have all come a long way in two years, the challenge now is to make this sustainable so it enriches both our communities for many years to come.”