A KINDHEARTED teenager will be giving up her summer holiday break to travel to a city in Ghana to volunteer with orphans and build homes and libraries.

While Colette Payton's friends will be enjoying the break from Droitwich Spa Sixth Form in August, the 16-year-old will be jetting off to volunteer with non-profit organisation Thrive Africa for a month.

Miss Payton, from Charlotte Bronte Drive, Droitwich, needs to raise £995 towards the trip to pay for materials and equipment as well as volunteer transportation between projects.

During the trip she will be spending some of her time turning unused classrooms into bright and colourful libraries for the children of Kumasi in south Ghana.

She will also be helping to improve the living conditions at homes and spending time supporting people caring for orphans including building farms and planting trees.

The teenager, who is studying AS levels in psychology, business and sport, said: "I would really like to be able to give something back because I'm very fortunate where I am and with my family.

"I'm really excited to go over and help improve the area.

"It is completely different from anything I have ever done before.

"Normally when I go abroad it is a holiday with my family and I'm just sitting around the pool most of the time.

"I'm happy to be giving up my summer holidays to do it."

Miss Payton will be travelling to the country alone but has been making friends with other volunteers on the organisation's Facebook page and plans to fly our with them.

She will be working alongside a group of 15 to 20 people during her time out there.

Friends and family have been donating towards the trip and she is hoping to arrange other fundraisers soon.

Anyone wishing to donate should log on to thriveafrica.co.uk/f/?id=759.