Teenager gives presentation to Princess Anne

LINDA Bloomfield always knew she wanted to do volunteering in her gap year before university and was thrilled to get a placement to South Africa with the charity Lattitude Global Volunteering.

LINDA Bloomfield always knew she wanted to do volunteering in her gap year before university and was thrilled to get a placement to South Africa with the charity Lattitude Global Volunteering.

But what she was not expecting was to be asked to give a presentation about her experience to royalty on her return.

The 19-year-old former City College Norwich student from Watton spent eight months in South Africa last year where she taught in a school and lived among the community which was predominantly HIV positive.

Her promotional work for the charity since her return impressed the organisation so much that she was picked to front a presentation to Princess Anne, a patron of the charity, who visited its headquarters in Reading on Wednesday.

'It is a real honour to be able to do it but I really enjoy talking about Africa and my gap year,' said Linda. 'I want to inspire as many people as I can to volunteer because it exceeded all my expectations.

'They really have nothing but they would give you all that they had. They are such a hopeful and happy people.'

Linda, who is now on a theatre studies course at Middlesex University, enjoyed the experience so much she is planning to return to the region after she graduates to open a theatre programme for disadvantaged children.