A VERWOOD teenager is throwing herself out of a plane and going on an arduous run to fund the trip of a lifetime.

Maddi Tonks, 17, is joining a group from Oakmead Academy in Bournemouth on the trip to Kigali, Rwanda, in October.

Maddi, who goes to the LEAF Studio School on the Oakmead Campus, will be doing a skydive and a 10k run as part of her efforts to raise £1,400 to fund the adventure.

She said: “Every year Oakmead Academy does a trip with the CRED Foundation to a different part of Africa.

“Seeing all the programmes on TV like Comic Relief, you want to go out there and make a difference. Knowing that I will be helping them and making a difference in their lives and educating them is a really good thought.”

The group will be helping to teach maths and English to children in Rwanda, which this year marks 20 years since its devastating genocide, as well as helping teachers there.

Maddi added: “We will be helping the teachers there as well, taking resources and giving them lesson plans that they can do.”

The teenager is studying musical theatre and plans to audition for London stage schools later this year.

Find Maddi’s fundraising site at www.justgiving.com/maddi-tonks.