A teenager has returned from a trip to Africa where he helped coach youngsters and educate them about the dangers of HIV and AIDS.

Marcus Strudwick, 16, a sporting ambassador at Hanson School, has been on the journey with the Football Association where he has helped young leaders to develop their coaching skills.

He said: "It was fantastic, just the whole experience of visiting a different continent, with a whole different way of life and culture."

Marcus was one of four young leaders selected by the FA to travel to Botswana to help develop women's football. The group were building on the work already carried out in the country by footballers Paul Gasccoigne and Ray Clemence.

"We were lucky enough to meet Ray Clemence before we went and he said that we would be building on the work that he had done. He joked that we would probably do a better job," said Marcus, a goalkeeper for Idle Juniors and Thackley FC's under-19s, who became Hanson's sports captain alongside fellow sporting ambassador Laura Gadd two years ago when they were in Year Ten.

The team of four young leaders and six FA officials spent four days in Botswana running workshops with a group of young leaders from Botswana to teach them coaching skills and ways of developing and improving the standard of football.

"We were working in the 40 degree heat and we were absolutely shattered to start with. We ran workshops and showed them ways of building up games to improve the skills levels. At the same time we tried to incorporate messages about HIV and AIDs into the sessions. Part of the work that we were doing was to promote Education through Football.

"By the third day we didn't really have to do anything, we were there to support and encourage them. It was so promising that they picked up something so quick," said Marcus.

"I didn't want to come back because I was having such a good time."

The group will be meeting up at the FA's headquarters in Soho Square today for a de-brief session and to look at ways the programme can be developed for the next group of young leaders.

The whole experience has been a real eye opener for Marcus and it has re-cemented his passion for coaching.

"I was just doing what I love doing and this experience is going to stay with me for the rest of my life," he said.

e-mail: sunita.bhatti@bradford.newsquest.co.uk