A PAIR of enterprising York schoolboys have come up with a way to raise funds and help with festive recycling.

Joseph Wreglesworth, 15, and 14-year-old Jacob Smith, who both go to Joseph Rowntree School in New Earswick, hope to go to Cambodia on an expedition with Camps International organised through their school in Summer 2024.

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While there, the Year 10 students, who both live in Haxby, will help teach children English in schools, build water storage pots and chicken coops for families.

As the cost of the trip is £4,130 per student, they need to fundraise to make it happen and they have come up with a brilliant way to bring in some cash.

After Christmas they are going to be collecting used Christmas trees for a small donation of £6 in Haxby, Huntington, Strensall, Clifton and Rawcliffe, and further afield, on Sunday, January 8.

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The plan is for them then to store the trees on Jacob's family farm and when they are dry to chip them and sell the chippings to raise even more money.

Joseph's mum, Karen said: "Joseph and Jacob are both very excited to have this opportunity to make a difference and it will be a major and life-affirming trip for them ; neither has ever been away from home for more than three nights before and they will be the other side of the world to their X Boxes, so this will be a huge culture change for them."

The purpose of the trip is to help and work in the local communities in Cambodia with wildlife and conservation projects; they will be contributing to vital project work to support these local communities, wildlife and the environment, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

They will help with school improvements and jungle garden reforestation, as well as helping to create better sanitation and will learn new skills such as bricklaying and even how to build a toilet from scratch for families that don’t have one.

Part of the expedition will involve a four day trek through the jungle where they will sleep in hammocks and be blessed by a Monk for their work.

Karen said: "It will undoubtedly be hard work, the labour is tough and the heat intense but the reward for completing the project will be incomparable; this will really make a significant difference to these families and their futures."

The boys have set up a GoFundMe page. Click here to help them reach their £2,000 target.

To arrange a collection call 07766 017606.