YOUNG environmentalists from Stroud High School have returned from a trip on the wild side in South Africa.

Five students and their teacher spent their half term break in the Wild Coast near Durban helping communities.

They took part in a three-day trek between Mtamvuna River and the Great Kei Rive where they explored coastal biodiversity and learnt about conservation and living off the land without leaving a mark behind.

The girls spent the remainder of the week living with a Xhosa family and volunteered at the local crèche and primary school.

Teacher Lyn Parker Dodd said: "The freedom to make their own choices and solve problems are all skills that the girls will take away from this trip.

"Being given the time to reflect and contemplate who they are and where they are going and to look at themselves in relation to nature is a skill that will hopefully be with them for life.”

The girls won a place on the trip with the Wilderness Foundation by entering Giving Nation's video competition.

They wrote and produced a video documenting how they raised more than £1,000 for local charity the Timmy Mason Trust through a range of fundraising initiatives.

Giving Nation teams up with a different charity partner every year to provide insights into how charities work and to inspire more young people to give to their communities.