Chelsie’s can do attitude

Chelsie Sheard is due to travel out to Mexico and Belize in July 2012, but must raise £4,000 if she is to take part in the four-week trip.

“I found out about the trip when I went for the college taster day and that’s when I decided I wanted to go,” said Chelsie.

“We do a five day trek and travel down through Mexico. We have a few days of sightseeing there then we go to Belize to work on a community project.

“It could be helping building schools or teaching children how to use computers. There’s a bit of everything.”

Together with classmates at Ossett Academy and Sixth Form College, 16-year-old Chelsie has been holding cake sales and bag packs to raise funds.

But Chelsie is also getting help closer to home in Chickenley, where neighbours and the community centre have been helping her collect aluminium cans for recycling.

Chelsie has collected more than 3,000 cans already – but she will need to recycle tens of thousands of cans in the next year to earn enough money to reach her goal.

Mum Lisa Sheard, 33, said the community centre, Ossett Town, her workmates at Wilkinsons in Dewsbury and the Young People’s Service in Dewsbury were all helping.

“The community centre has said that anybody in Chickenley who wants to collect the cans can leave them in bags by the bins at the back so we can pick them up,” she said.

“If anyone else wants to do the same that would be great.”

Chelsie, who lives in Princess Lane, has also organised a psychic night at the community centre in Princess Road on Saturday June 11 at 7.30pm.

To act as a can collection point, donate raffle prizes or buy tickets for the psychic night, priced at £7, ring 07796 931398.