TEENAGERS who won a South African holiday by helping their community found inspiration for a new campaign among impoverished township youngsters.

The group from Wolsingham School and Community College were so moved by the few hours they spent among the ramshackle homes of former president Nelson Mandela's tribe, near Cape Town, that they came back determined to make a difference.

Already they are collecting pens, books and other equipment for the school they visited on the special afternoon they all singled out as the highlight of their 11-day tour.

Kim Roberts, Lucy Armstrong, Ian Watson, Hanne Elkjaer, Kate Dowson, Lily Tristram, who are all 14, and Anna Pickering and Anna Donaghy, both 15, earned the trip of a lifetime by winning a Square Mile competition for teams who improve life in their home communities.

They used their school's new UK Online facilities to teach computer skills to people affected by last year's foot-and-mouth outbreak and by recent redundancies at Lafarge Cement's Eastgate plant.

In South Africa they went on safari, enjoyed white water rafting and toured Mandela's prison on Robin Island. But it was the warmth of the welcome from the township community that they say will stay with them for ever.

Lily said: "It really was a life changing experience. I am sure it will make me a better person. The people there have nothing, but they have everything. We will never forget our visit."

History teacher Roisin McVeigh, who led the group with science master Ian Read and Square Mile organiser PC Mary Atkin, said: "We didn't know what we were going to find but it was very positive. The people there can teach us a lot about building a better future."

The group are all members of the school's new Interact club and Crook Rotary Club is supporting their South African project.

Anyone who wants to contribute can contact Miss McVeigh at the school on (01388) 527302.