EARLIER this year, year 10 students from Weydon School in Farnham were treated to a trip to Sri Lanka.

In order for the students to take part, they needed to fundraise more than £2,000 individually for the trip and £3,000 between them for project costs.

They raised money through babysitting and waiting jobs plus selling items at village fairs.

While in Sri Lanka the students volunteered at the Millennium Elephant Sanctuary, clearing the elephant beds and doing a ‘river clean’.

Most of them had never done anything like this before, so it was a surreal experience when they got the chance to bathe the elephants.

After staying at Elephant Sanctuary for a few days, they moved on to the Janoda Foundation. For the remainder of the time they went on day trips to places such as a tea plantation, the local orphanage and the beach.

One of the participants, Archie Allen, head boy for River College said: “All of these experiences showed us the completely different Asian lifestyles that they live there, and it was an eye opening experience and a really great opportunity.”