PUPILS from a York secondary academy have returned from the trip of a life time to South Africa.

The Archbishop Holgate’s CE Year 10 students went to carry out community work in Cape Town.

Since 2004 there have been links between the school with churches and community projects in the Anglican Diocese of Cape Town; this recent visit being the seventh one undertaken by students pupils during their work experience fortnight.

School chaplain, Richard Nihill, said: “It is a real blessing to be involved in this link with the Diocese of Cape Town.

"We always receive a warm welcome and wonderful hospitality when we visit.

"It is also amazing to see the emotional and spiritual journey our young people undertake; many of them do comeback transformed. In the past we have had students decide to study international politics and childcare following their visits. One student even switched from a career in acting to instead studying medicine having been so moved by what she experienced.” The students described the experience as “life changing”, “eye-opening” and something which “changed the way they looked at life”.

"They were greatly struck by the huge contrast between the poverty of the townships and the beautiful houses and shops in the city."

This year the students took 13 extra suitcases full of donated items in addition to the large amount of things in their own luggage.

This included more than 800 World Book Day books, almost 100 pairs of football boots, two suitcases full of football team strips, knitted items donated by local church members, teddy bears and other cuddly toys and a huge amount of second-hand clothes for babies and children.

These were donated to a variety of groups from township football teams to an AIDS orphanage, local schools, a maternity hospital, a foster home and support groups for HIV sufferers.

It is estimated that the group took well over 300KG of donated items in the additional cases and in their own luggage.

The task of transporting these items across London was challenging.

Throughout the two weeks the students engaged in varied tourism activities like climbing Table Mountain, a game drive and visiting Robben Island, as well as worshipping and interacting with local churches and two meetings with the Bishop of Cape Town.

These activities were punctuated with the students spending five days working with Church based community projects that the school has partnered with over many years.

At the Fikelela Children’s Centre, an AIDS orphanage in Khayelitsha township, students spent two days undertaking a variety of tasks. On the first day they dismantled 26 old beds, cleaned and painted bedrooms and then assembled 26 newly donated beds.