A MANAGER at a housing association is to swap Burnley for Uganda next year to help refurbish a school.

Stuart Graham will travel to Fort Portal, a town in the western part of the African country, in March, to spend three weeks of the scheme.

Head of skills and enterprise at Calico, Stuart has agreed to raise funds to contribute towards the building costs, which are estimated at approximately £30,000.

Over the next few months he is taking part in a number of fundraising activities, which have been supported wholeheartedly by his Calico colleagues.

“The support I’ve received so far has been staggering,” he said.

“I’ve raise a fantastic amount so far – it has really exceeded my expectations. I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone for their generosity.

“I feel extremely fortunate to be representing Calico in Uganda to help fix up a local primary school. I hope I’ll be the first of many colleagues who will also be able to take part in something that will be significantly rewarding on all counts.”

Stuart has raised over £250 selling cakes, biscuits and brews to Calico staff dressed as a glamorous ‘tea lady’, wearing very precarious high heels.

An extra £100 was also raised through sales of sausage butties to staff, with supplies kindly donated by Riley’s Butchers, Crawshawbooth, and Warburtons.

Further fundraising endeavours include a big prize raffle at Calico’s annual staff conference and a brave venture into leg waxing.

The trip is being organised through One Brick at a Time, a charitable organisation based in Uganda, with partners in the UK, which provides skills exchanges between the developed and developing worlds, helping to address issues of poverty and education attainment.