A teacher was so moved by the plight of street children in Africa she is hosting a charity ball to pay for outreach workers to help turn their lives around.

Jane Barker, 29, witnessed first-hand the suffering of children in Mombasa, Kenya, when she lived there for two years with husband Matthew before moving to East Morton, near Bingley.

While in Kenya, she volunteered for the Assist a Child To School (ACTS) charity which helps to get children off the streets and into education.

One of its major projects is to help Mombasa’s ‘glue children’ – youngsters living rough who are hooked on powerful solvents.

Now the married mother-of-one, who teaches business studies at Keighley’s Greenhead High School, is organising the ball on Friday, May 8, to raise money for the ACTS project.

Mrs Barker said: “I hope that the money I will raise will be used to set up a project to help some of the ‘glue children’ in Mombasa.

“I started arranging the ball after watching the TV series, Ross Kemp on gangs, which showed up the children addicted to glue.

“I know the same thing happens in Mombasa and I was so upset to see it that I felt I had to do something.”

The ACTS charity (acts-kenya.org) was set up more than 13 years ago to raise sponsorship for primary school children living in Mombasa’s slums.

It now offers support to high school pupils and people taking part in higher education, as well as running projects for street children, setting up libraries and paying for resources for schools.

Mrs Barker said: “There have been so many children going from primary into secondary education and even on to university.”

The spring charity ball will be held at the Alea Casino in Clarence Dock, Leeds from 7.30pm. For tickets, contact Mrs Barker on 0798 88725528 or e-mail janeandmatt@gmail.com.