By gum, that took some collecting...

NATHAN - and lots of toothbrushes!

YOUNGSTERS in Gambia will be able to swap twigs for toothbrushes, thanks to the efforts of nine-year-old Nathan Billington.

The Friezland School pupil was shocked when he learned underprivileged children in West Africa did not have toothbrushes or toothpaste, and had to rely on twigs to clean their teeth.

He was sparked into action because he had to undergo some dental work, and he wanted to turn his experience into something positive.

When Nathan launched his Toothbrush Appeal he asked the Chronicle for help in getting his message across, and said: “I saw on TV that children in Gambia don’t have anything.

“I am having a few problems with my teeth at the moment and decided to make something positive out of it by collecting toothbrushes to help the children make their teeth nice and clean.”

Nathan made posters asking for people to donate to the cause, and has now collected an amazing 459 toothbrushes and 226 tubes of toothpaste. They will go to Gambia with a teacher from his school.

The youngster, who has four brothers and sisters, Martha (5) and Robin (7), who both go to Friezland School, and Clayton (21) and Jac (20), also volunteered to do jobs for the family to earn money to buy toothbrushes and badgered Martha and Robin to tip up their pocket money.

His mother Emma said: “When Nathan found out children in Gambia use twigs to clean their teeth he said he just had to do something to help them. He has done brilliantly and I am so proud of him.”