SPEED dating, singles discos, walks, pub events and barbecues, have all helped to raise money for a Teignmouth teacher to visit and help at an African orphanage and school.

Caroline Phillips set up a small fundraising business, Single? Let's Mingle with the help of two friends, Suze Jones and Lisa Noble, to bring in funds for the Operation Imprezza facility in Kenya.

Half of the profits went directly to the school, to help cover the basic running costs and feeding the students. the rest has gone on new uniforms and shoes, and team building activities for the teachers, as well as providing the neccesities of life for poor and sick families.

Caroline, along with Teignmouth councillor Jacqui Orme and Imprezza trustee Chris Hulme, whose daughter Sarah founded the charity, was involved in teaching and tutoring maths and English, visiting orphans' homes, schools and colleges and a myriad of other tasks.

All three lived in the orphanage with 15 students and three of their teachers during the stay.

'There is still a lot of work to be done there, but we are making progress.

'I want to assure all the people of Teignmouth who have backed us that every penny they contribute goes to the people who really need it – there are no middle people involved.

'The agency I run is helping people make friends, and also benefiting these desperate people in Africa, so everybody wins,' said Caroline who spent three weeks in Kenya.