A PAIR of students are preparing to travel halfway around the world to volunteer at a charity which helps some of the world’s most vulnerable people.

Michael Bowes, 17, and Tom Bolland, 18, will join a group of 17 Middlesbrough teenagers who will assist Malaysian charity Home of Peace, which helps protect vulnerable girls in Kuala Lumpur who have been orphaned, neglected or abused.

The charity provides shelter and education for girls from families living in impoverished squatter settlements, where homes are make-shift shelters.

The trainee instrument technicians from TTE Technical Training Group, have each raised £3,500 through fundraising organised by Nunthorpe School, where the pair used to be students.

Mr Bolland, who is also a member of Cleveland Army Cadets, said: “As an army cadet, I’ve always enjoyed travelling to new places and helping people, so when I heard about the trip, I really wanted to get involved.”

Mr Bowes said: “I’m really looking forward to this – it will be a totally new experience for me. It’s very easy to take the things we have for granted and not appreciate just how privileged we are.”

Steve Grant, managing director of TTE, said: “Their decision to take part in this trip is indicative of calibre of community-minded young people we have at TTE, who go out of their way to help people less fortunate than themselves.”

The group will spend three weeks during the summer helping with practical maintenance jobs, refurbishing the charity’s accommodation and assisting the girls with their studies.