A TEENAGE student is heading off to India on the trip of a lifetime, to help to teach children.

Anna Burnley, 18, is heading to the town of Valparai, in southern India, for a year with the Project Trust group.

There the 18-year-old, of Front Street, Sowerby, near Thirsk, North Yorkshire, will teach English to primary and secondary school pupils.

She will be joined for the duration of her stay by another Project Trust volunteer plus a local helper.

To fund the trip the teenager raised £4,190 and passed two training courses on the Isle of Coll, off Scotland.

She said: "I have always wanted to do a gap year and I'm excited by the idea but also slightly nervous.

"But I'm looking forward to meeting a lot of different people and to becoming part of the local community.

"It'll be completely different to anything I know and they have different beliefs and language but I'm looking forward to it."

The Thirsk School Sixth Form student heard about Project Trust when the group held a talk at the school.

The youngster applied and was sent to the Isle of Coll where the volunteers strengths and weaknesses were analysed.

Then those picked to form this year's batch of 200 volunteers were allocated projects to work on and given further training.

Miss Burnley will fly to the state of Tamil Nadu on August 30 to live in the rural town of Valparai.

The teenager has studied French A Level and plans to study Spanish and French at Sheffield University.

She adds: "I don't really like computers so I'm looking forward to going somewhere without the latest technology.

"I would guess they will have text books and basics like pens and paper and I think it will be a rewarding experience."

Project Trust sends youngsters aged 17-19-years to 26 countries each year in Africa, Central America and Asia.

Amy Lee, the schools liaison officer for Project Trust, said: "We have been running for 40 years.

"We try to send people to somewhere where they will help with a project which is beneficial.

"We look to help the people out there and have people working in orphanages and teaching."