When Lisa Beckingham came up with the idea of collecting unwanted school uniforms to enable children in Tanzania to go to school she hoped to collect a few dozen.

But thanks to the generosity of Barnsley parents Lisa now has a staggering 3,500 uniforms all wrapped and  boxed and ready to go.

But the sheer number of donations has created a new problem - the 32-year-old teaching assistant needs to raise £1,000 to get the uniforms to Africa where they are so desperately needed.

Lisa, from Park Road, Grimethorpe, who has done voluntary work in Africa in the past, explained: "In Tanzania children are not allowed to attend a school unless they have a uniform to wear.

"Any uniform will do - the style and the colour simply don't matter but without one the child is not allowed at school.

"Sadly many families cannot afford a uniform so children as young as seven-years-old are instead sent to work down the local gravel mine.

"I thought if I could get parents in Barnsley to donate uniforms their children might have grown out of every uniform represents a child that in Tanzania would then be able to go to school and not down the mine."

Lisa,  who works at Holy Trinity School in Athersley, describes the reaction to her appeal,  which featured in the Chronicle,  as "amazing".

But she now need to raise the money needed to get the uniforms to Tanzania.

A courier firm that is willing to take them to Tanzania for £1,000.

Anyone who can help can contact Lisa on 07871729702.