Big-hearted P7 pupils at St Andrew’s RC Primary School are raising funds for The Singing Children of Africa who are visiting Dumfries at the end of the month.

The 25 children from Kenya will present concerts at St Teresa’s Church on Monday, October 29, and in St Andrew’s Church on Tuesday, October 30. Both performances are at 7pm and the children will be staying with host families in the town and will also be selling jewellery and crafts.

Their visit follows one to Dumfries in 2016 and admission is free with donations welcome.

In the meantime, the Dumfries class has decided to raise awareness of their visit and the charity project, Educate The Kids, which looks after them, as part of their Pope Francis Faith Award.

As well as encouraging people to go along to the concerts, which are the last in their Believe Tour 2018, the pupils are trying to raise funds and to gather items of clothing, including uniforms, for them to take home as most live in an orphanage set up by the charity.

The youngsters have written to businesses asking for help and are hoping Standard readers will also help out by gathering items ready to be handed in to the school when they return after the October break on Monday, October 29.

One of the pupils George, wrote to the Standard, saying: “The awesome Singing Children of Africa have gone through suffering and poverty. There are children with no families or homes; they are just roaming the streets begging for scraps of food or a little payment but a special charity called Educate The Kids is trying their hardest to tackle that problem. Now there are schools and orphanages for the children.

“We have decided to sponsor these children as a part of our Pope Francis Faith Award and hope we can raise awareness for them, raise money, and collect donations of school uniforms, socks, shoes or any other clothes new or used but in good condition.”

P7 teacher, Nichola McIntyre, said she is proud of the effort that her class is putting in to help other children.

She said: “The children are amazing, full of talent and life, yet they have so little back home. They need to raise money for their school which was built by the charity and that is what the P7’s are trying to do.

“Mrs Crawford, a parishioner from St Andrew’s Church, delivered a super talk for the class. She sponsors a child and has been out to Kenya to meet the children so her first hand experience and stories for the children were super.

“As well as making posters, writing to businesses and contacting the media, the class are organising a bake sale in school to raise more funds.”

Donations can be handed in to the school or contact the school for collection.