AFTER a former Grange Junior School pupil visited Sri Lanka and saw for herself the devastation the tsunami caused she wanted to do something to help.

Jo Collins, 44, is volunteering for the Twins Project which links Sri Lankan schools with those in Britain.

And she has enlisted the help of her former school.

Grange Junior in Grange Drive, Lower Stratton, already has links with European schools and was thrilled when Ms Green invited them to join her venture.

The school has linked up with Deepankara Primary school in Tangalle, on the eastern side of Sri Lanka.

There are 159 children aged from five to 10 and many of their lives were changed following the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004.

Ms Collins, a field officer for the charity project, was working in Sri Lanka when she found the small school.

"It's a lovely school which was rebuilt after the tsunami by a non-governmental organisation," she said.

"It hadn't been totally destroyed, but water had come into the building."

Much of the school's equipment was wrecked by the flooding, including books.

Part of Ms Collins' job is to assess the needs of the school so that the aid Grange Junior sends them will actually help.

To get the ball rolling each child at the school has donated £1.

Ms Collins, who is planning to return to Sri Lanka at the end of the month, will take the cash out with her so the first wave of the equipment can be purchased.

Alan Duffy, the school's international coordinator, is thrilled his pupils have the chance to be involved in the project.

"It's a fantastic project for our pupils to be involved with," he said.

"They have been really enthusiastic and have been asking all sorts of questions about the country, which is great."

He added: "I can see the project running and running."

To celebrate the twinning the school held a special assembly so that all of the pupils could be involved. Rebecca Miles, eight, said: "I cannot wait until we link up with the school. Before I didn't really know anything about Sri Lanka but now I do. I would like to get to know the children."

Sophie Bryant, 11, said: "I think Sri Lanka is very different to here.

"Some people lost a lot in the tsunami so I think it's good that we can help some of the schoolchildren there."