Hayley heading for a Far East adventure

A PASSION for helping others has led a Failsworth teaching assistant to take her skills to the Far East.

Hayley Keight will leave her home in Nottingham Drive and fly to Sri Lanka next week to start three months of volunteering.

Two months in Sri Lanka will see her teach youngsters in children’s homes, help unemployed youths learn to speak English and undertake training to help her do the work.

The 23-year-old former Oldham Sixth Form College student will also be involved in a sports coaching project.

Then she moves on to Cambodia, to spend two weeks in an inner-city school in Siem Reap, followed by two weeks in a rural school teaching English with the help of a translator.

Hayley is making last-minute preparations for her trip, which she hopes will stand her in good stead when she continues her studies to become an English teacher on her return to Failsworth.

Hayley, who is the grand-daughter of the late Billy Grogan, a local football coach and former landlord of the Streetbridge Inn and the Bricklayer’s Arms, is no stranger to volunteering.

She did a stint in China three years ago, and currently helps to look after chickens at the Oldham Grassroots Wellbeing project, at Marlborough Drive, Failsworth.

Hayley, who has covered the full cost of her volunteering trip herself, now wants Chronicle readers to help out by donating items such as books, pens, pencils, notepads and sticky tape which she can take with her.

She explained: “The opportunity to experience another culture, while making a difference and being part of a great team, is something that I am very passionate about.”