A YORK volunteer is preparing to fly to Africa after being chosen from more than 2,000 applicants to take part in an aid programme.

Former Manor School pupil Ruth Clayden, 23, from Poppleton, will head to Ghana on August 4 for ten weeks to help build a market and teach English through the Platform2 scheme, which gives people living in the UK the chance to learn more about global development issues, such as poverty and climate change.

Ruth, who has taken part in volunteer work for Poppleton Brownies and the York St Mary’s Flood Exhibition, said: “I hope to make a change to the community out there and, although I don’t know what to expect, I hope to learn a lot.”