EIGHT members of a girls' club are taking a trip of a lifetime to Nepal to help deaf children.

The members of the Walderslade-based Young Searchers Christian club are embarking on the venture as part of the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards scheme.

The girls, aged 15 to 21, will first learn sign language in Medway before they visit Nepal at the end of next year to teach their new skills in a school for profoundly deaf children.

One of the group, Laura Barnes, 15, said: "This will be an exciting venture and will give us the chance to help those in need."

Kate Powell, 16, said: "We are looking forward to it. We will learn more about people with disabilities and learn to work together as a group."

The remaining six flying out for two weeks in autumn 2004. They are Grace Croft, 16, Laura Mann, 15, Sherry Tripp, 15, Vicky Lynn, 15, Rebecca Langridge, 21, and Katherine Warner, 15.

The trip will also be a social eye-opener for the girls. Their work for the award includes learning about the Nepalese culture and deprivation among communities there.

To prepare their teaching skills the girls will take on a 30-week sign language course with the Royal Association for the Deaf at its Gillingham base in Balmoral Road. The course is already paid for by charitable funding but the trip to Nepal, with fares, equipment and other expenses, comes to £1,300 per head.

Local businesses, organisations and individuals are asked to help and any who can should contact Young Searchers club organiser Linda Tout on 01634 668214.