WHEN four folk from Barnsley flew to Uganda they had a few extra suitcases with them - to carry the 74 pairs of shoes they were taking with them.
David and Pauline Gill, from Darfield, Margaret Rowbotham, from Lundwood, and Carol Higgins, from Gawber, all sponsor children in Musaka in Uganda through the charity Africa with Love.
Before they left for Africa they had raised £2,000 from coffee mornings and selling home-made cakes, books and jewellery.
So much money was raised they had already ordered and paid for 54 new school desks before they even set off.
They also paid for items ranging from mosquito nets and medical supplies to mattresses for children sleeping on metal beds.
They knew there was also a desperate need for shoes as many of the children are barefoot all the time. A presentation they gave to the ladies of Barnsley Inner Wheel resulted in the ladies paying for 37 pairs of new shoes.
The friends paid for another 37 pairs from their fundraising and they were all packed into the suitcases and taken on the trip.
Carol, of Downs Crescent, said: "The children were thrilled with all their new shoes and we were so happy to have been able to take so many thanks to the generosity of the Inner Wheel ladies and people who supported our fund raising."
