A MALVERN volunteer worker in India is looking for sponsorship to help children at the orphanage where she is staying.

Lucy Miller, aged 28, has spent the last few months at the Vellaturu Orphanage in the southern Indian state of Telangangu.

She said: "Since I got here I have been really shocked at the poverty and the amount of basic necessities people don't have, so I'm trying to get sponsors for some of the children as well as funding.

"There are 153 children here and only 48 have a sponsor. Sponsorship costs £10 monthly and covers food, shelter and schooling.

"The orphanage is run by a pastor and his wife and they also have some elderly people living here who were homeless. One big problem is the lack of a dining hall and all the children eat on the floor outside. In the monsoon season this is really awful as they have torrential rain whilst they are eating. I really want to try and raise money to build this."

Miss Miller, a former Dyson Perrins pupil, has already had some success attracting sponsorship and funding, with the Willows pre-school in West Malvern, run by her friend Rosie Dakin, sponsoring day-care centre in a nearby village.

She said: "We now have 11 children sponsored by people in Malvern, as well as a bore well just paid for. In addition there is £270 raised towards the dining hall.

"The children are really happy , safe and secure in a routine here. They are really close and caring towards each other. They have a little garden which they are proud of and they study really hard. They are also really sweet towards me checking up on me and showing me around."

But she said there is always room for more help.

She said: "I am really passionate about working with children who are disadvantaged, mainly because they just happen to be born into unfortunate surroundings and I think it's unfair they receive fewer chances to others."

Anyone who can help is urged to contact missionfortheruralpeople.org.