Two Brooke Weston students are planning a series of fundraising events in order to travel to Australia. Students Bex Auty and Kelly Fabian are raising money for the Joshua Foundation which supports terminally ill children. Half of their £5,000 target will go directly to the charity with the other half funding their three-week trip to Australia where they will do conservation work.

The Joshua Foundation was set up in 1998 by Sarah Cornelius after her son, Joshua died of stomach cancer. It provides holidays and outings for children with terminal cancer and also runs the Oz Experience, where fundraising students get a chance to visit Australia and help out on conservation projects.

Bex and Kelly have already held a launch party where fellow student, Richard Moore had his chest waxed. The duo also received some of the proceeds of a mufti day at Brooke Weston, and they are hoping to carry out further events and assemblies in the College to raise awareness of the charity.

Bex said: 'The Joshua Foundation helps terminally ill children live life to the full and see the world before they die.'

The trip that Kelly and Bex are intending to take part in will be the tenth year that the Joshua Foundation have gone to Australia. They have to raise their money by April 2008 to go in July of that year. Although their conservation work will only last for three weeks they will have one year visa giving them a chance to travel round the country. They are pleased with their fund-raising efforts so far and they are already planning more money-making schemes including packing bags at a supermarket and holding a car boot sale.