KIND-HEARTED students from a Newport school have just 17 weeks to raise some £50,000 to help change lives in Africa.

A group of 16 Year 12 and 13 students from St Julian's School plan to take a four-week trip to Kenya in July to help hundreds of African children with the charity Moving Mountains.

But they have only 17 weeks to raise around £3,000 each to fund the trip and are hoping local residents and businesses can help with sponsorship.

They are currently bag packing in supermarkets, cleaning cars, conducting cake sales, doing bucket collections and even shovelled snow for residents last month netting them £10,500 so far.

When the students arrive in Kenya, they will be helping in orphanages, looking after street children, and working in a street rescue centre among a host of activities.

It is the latest trip to Kenya by St Julians - a partnership which started in the 1990s. The links have become even more strengthened after the tragic death of much-loved student Chris Morrone who died in August 2009 after a mystery illness following the trip to Kenya.

Head Boy Dan Grimshawe, aged 18, will help the lead the trip.

He said: "All the students are so busy raising money in as many different ways as they can, and it is all for a life-changing cause. People could buy a car with this money but that doesn't change a life, whereas this trip definitely does.

"It would be brilliant if local residents and businesses could get behind us with a donation however small.

"We get to work in street rescue centres where unwanted children have been abandoned and we help out in orphanages. It is truly life changing.

"The students have exams, jobs and other things to juggle as well as raising money, but they so desperately want to help out others less fortunate."

Anyone who can help can contact Dan at the school on 01633 224490.