A TEENAGER'S plans to work with babies and children in an African orphanage have been given a financial boost.

Jennifer Brown, 17, from Aycliffe Village, is aiming to raise enough money to travel to Uganda to work in an orphanage for a month.

Her work will be mainly with babies and children under three, many suffering from Aids, but she will also help with school assemblies and drama clubs.

She needs to raise £1,500 to fund the trip and has been holding a number of sponsored events.

Her efforts have been helped by a grant of £100 from the Aycliffe Village Hall committee. That sum has been matched by Councillor Bill Blenkinsopp from funds at his disposal.

The village hall rarely awards grants from its children's fund, which was put in a trust several years ago.

A hall spokesman said: "It has been held by trustees of the village hall for years and very rarely gets spent.

"But we do have a few youngsters in the village who are doing worthwhile things and the committee agreed we would give Jennifer a donation."

Jennifer, a student at Darlington's Queen Elizabeth College, is a member of the Christian Life Centre, in Woodham.

She is travelling to Uganda through Crusaders, a Christian organisation for young people.