STAFF from Barclays Bank at Gadbrook Park are to bed down for a night under the stars to support African street children.

Retrak works to enable street children to move from a life of vulnerability, exclusion and poverty to a life within a positive family or community setting.

In January 2017 12 volunteers from Barclays at Gadbrook Park will be travelling to Malawi to volunteer for Retrak.

They will be helping to equip and furnish a resource centre for street children at Retrak’s partner organisation Chisomo Children’s Club.

The group are aiming to raise a total of £24,000, which will be matched by Barclays to make £48,000.

The money will be used to kit out an IT lab, providing all the necessary computer equipment, as well as an IT teacher, at the children’s centre for a year.

As part of the fundraising, Barclays employees are to spend a night under the stars at their base at Gadbrook Park at the end of this month.

Donations can be made on Clare Shaker’s Just Giving page - www.justgiving.com/fundraising/clare-shaker.

“I will be raising funds and awareness throughout 2016 then visiting Malawi in January with a group of other volunteers from Barclays to offer practical hands-on help,” said Clare, who has raised £435 towards her £1,000 target.

“Amongst other things I will be helping to create a computer suite whilst there to allow the children to learn employable skills for the future. I really appreciate people’s support and donations.”

“Chisomo’s work with children living and working on the streets is based from its drop-in centres,” said the club’s website.

“From these centres, staff go out on to the streets to find the children, establish contact and begin to engage with them. Once a trusting rapport is built, staff can explain about Chisomo and the services available to the children.

“This enables the children to make positive choices and better access their basic human rights to safety, health, education, safe family and a future with hope.

“Chisomo works with and takes referrals from the Malawi Police and Victim Support Units, the Social Services department and other NGOs and churches.”