A discarded Bingley school uniform will soon be sported by pupils in Africa - helping them to gain an education.

Boxes of school polo shirts and sweatshirts from Beckfoot School will be winging their way to help youngsters in Sudan via the African Chil-dren's Choir charity.

The charity works across Africa supporting education projects for children.

Pat Stockdale, of Pool-in-Wharfedale, who is involved with helping the charity - and will be taking the goods on the first leg of their journey to Africa - said she was delighted with the response from the parents and staff.

"Some of the clothes donated by the school were new and they are ideal for the children there. In the daytime it is too hot for the children but in the evening they have nothing to keep them warm and just wrap their arms around themselves.

"The polo shirts will be used as school uniform, as in England. The cotton sweatshirts are just right and the fact that they say Beckfoot on them is perfect because that could be like a designer name, not the name of a school."

Mrs Stockdale will also be taking tools, books and bicycles to the country and has bought 200 pairs of sandals.

"For the children there, owning a pair of shoes is a very big thing.

"When the children go to school they are given clothes to wear as many of them don't even have that. It is impossible to describe the level of poverty out there." She had managed to get a number of school trousers to go with the Beckfoot polo shirts and sweatshirts, which will no longer be needed because the school is switching from its maroon colour scheme to navy blue this term.

Parent Jan Winter, who came up with the idea and asked the school to collect unwanted uniforms, said several huge boxes packed with polo shirts and sweatshirts had been collected.

"It's great that youngsters who would not otherwise be able to keep warm will enjoy a schooling in Africa in Beckfoot uniforms," she said.

Janice Farrell, deputy head teacher at the school in Wagon Lane, said it was an opportunity to help the needy.