SOMERSET College, in Taunton, has developed a partnership with the Sella Community Project, a community-based charity in Sierra Leone.

The college has donated a number of library books.

The charity aims to improve the lives of people in the Kamakwie community in north-west Sierra Leone, who are still trying to rebuild their lives after an 11-year civil war.

It was founded by Richard Meads, a former Somerset College student, who developed a strong friendship with a member of the Kamakwie community during business-related visits to the area.

Library books donated by Somerset College helped the charity establish a resource centre to help the people of the Kamakwie community learn basic literacy and numeracy skills for free.

Jolanta Peters, library services manager at Somerset College, said: β€œIt's fantastic that Somerset College is able to support this project and contribute to the learning experience and quality of life for people in a very different and much deprived part of the world.”

Richard Meads and his father Jonathon, recently visited Somerset College from Sierra Leone to thank the College for the ongoing donations and to provide an insight into life in the Kawakwie Community and how the resource centre is helping to improve the quality of life there.