A MEDICAL trainee hopes to pull on the heart strings at her former school to give her a ticket for what could prove the trip of a lifetime later this year.

Fiona McGlade must reach a £1,500 target within the next four weeks to enable her to take part in a five-month African adventure.

She has raised £850 through a variety of fundraising efforts to meet the cost of Voluntary Service Overseas placements in Zambia and Tanzania.

But it leaves a £650 shortfall with the deadline looming at the end of February.

During the placements she will work with HIV/Aids patients in Zambia for three months before spending the last two months helping in an orphanage in neighbouring Tanzania.

The 18-year-old, from North End, Durham, hopes it will provide excellent experience before she applies for a place at medical school next year.

She has so far taken part in a Santa Run, at York Racecourse, and busked several times on a pitch in Durham city centre.

But she hopes to make big inroads towards meeting the target at a Valentine’s non-uniform/coffee and cake day at her old school.

The 200-plus youngsters can pay 50p for the privilege of not wearing their uniform at Neville’s Cross Primary School, on Friday February 15.

As part of the event she will be serving coffee and cakes on a Valentine’s theme to parents arriving to collect their children towards the end of the school day.

“The school has been very good to let me do the event, as there aren’t that many members of staff from when I was there.”

She plans to do a presentation on the African placements to outline the reason for the fundraising to parents at the school, on the day.

Donations can be made to assist her African trip fund via www.justgiving.com/Fiona-McGlade.