A SOLICITOR who raised £6,000 after dressing as Darth Vader in York’s Brass Monkey Half Marathon has been to Zambia to see a new medical centre he helped fund.

Stuart Hanley, of Minster Law, saw first-hand the impact the facility has had so far on the people of Kapiri during his trip with two Minster Law colleagues, Amanda Parkinson and Jamie Lyons.

The centre, which consists of an outpatient clinic, under-fives clinic, HIV testing/TB clinic laboratory, pharmacy and a maternity unit, was built in conjunction with charity partner Build It International.

It will enable the residents of Kapiri and surrounding areas to access medical services and provisions they were previously unable to get, such as treatment for malaria.

"Before the new centre was built, the nearest facility was several hours’ walk from Kapiri.

Built It International focuses on sustainability in Zambia, transforming local communities by training unemployed young men and women in construction skills, then working with them to build high quality schools and clinics.

Mr Hanley, who is a manager in Minster Law corporate services, said: “It was a privilege to visit Zambia and see first-hand the new health clinic and maternity unit and hear about it already saving lives.

“During the trip, we gave a young girl and her mother a lift to the new clinic, saving them a walk of several hours. Sadly the girl’s malaria test was positive, but thanks to the new clinic, she received vital life saving treatment and medication.

“The trip was a real experience and it will never cease to amaze me how stoic some of the families are, despite the hard life the population faces. I’ll never forget the fantastic welcome we received – people singing the Spiderman theme and a Zambia Rasta performing a tightrope act dressed as Spiderman!

"The whole trip makes my charity run dressed as Darth Vader worth it.”