2 hands 2 change

Meet Dave, Chris, Toby, Danny, Mark, Emily, Becky, Spencer, Will and Brownie. They're Year 12s at St Mary's Catholic School, Menston, West Yorkshire, and are all 16 and 17.

They are the BASIK team who have, in 18 months, raised more than £5000 to transform the education and life chances of more than 70 young people in a rural part of Kenya. BASIK stands for 'build a school in Kenya' and that's exactly what they've done.

Every Friday after school the boys (and Emily and Becky on the sidelines!) 'pay and play'. It's £1 a time to join what is possibly one of the longest-running series of charity football games ever! 

And in the holidays and at weekends, they devise crazy ways to raise awareness and keep the cash coming - anything from sponsored leg-waxing to carol singing, a Spring Fair (which raised £350) and getting local schools to have non-uniform days. The Yorkshire Bank HQ even had a dress-down Friday with proceeds to BASIK.

So why do they spend their time baking cookies rather than playing on their Wiis?

"Building a school is a start for a whole community", Danny says, "we've got a lot of opportunities and take it for granted". 

"It's something for nothing, really - it's not a lot of money to us, but it means kids over there have somewhere to go, have a safe environment, and get to meet people their own age," says Emily.

And their faith is clearly really important. "It's Christianity in a different sort of way", says Chris, "it expresses our faith in a different way - we probably wouldn't have done it if we didn't go to a Catholic school".

BASIK's not just a kick about on a Friday, it's a full-blown local charity (number 1116936) of which Chris Normington, 22, is the Chair. "There were 60 forms to fill in; it was a real ball-ache to start with!"

And team BASIK is in it for the long haul. "As long as the problem's there, the enthusiasm sticks," says Will. The key to their success is "fun and friends", says Dave. "We do it because we enjoy it."

The team told the story of Patrick, who had to leave school early because his family couldn't afford it any more. He makes bracelets and sells them locally - and now he supplies the BASIK ones too, with their motto "2 hands 2 change" on them. They've been so successful that Patrick has been able to send his two youngest sisters to school.

"Anybody can change the world with their own two hands", Chris says, "anyone can make a positive impact".
>>Check out BASIK's website at http://www.justbasik.org/