The Lisa Kent Memorial Trust was set up following the death of the popular 19-year-old in December 2003.
Lisa was one of three teenagers killed when the car they were travelling in veered off the road and plunged into the River Ouse at New River Bank, near Littleport.
The driver of the car, Darren Isaacson, who was 21 at the time, was jailed for seven years after being convicted of dangerous driving.
Daniel Davy and Sam Murphy, both 15 and from Ely, were also killed in the crash. But determined to ensure Lisa’s legacy lived on, her friends and family set up the Lisa Kent Memorial Trust.
Lisa had a love of children and so the trustees decided to help some of the world’s most deprived youngsters in The Gambia. The trust achieved charitable status in 2005 and since then it has helped to build three new schools, providing hundreds of children, many of which are orphans, with a safe place to learn.
The trustees visit The Gambia at least three or four times a year, during which they teach children, carry out maintenance work and generally get involved. Liz Tinkler, one of the trustees, said: “We desperately want more people to come on our voluntary trips with us.
“Each trip is different – we spend time teaching the children, playing with them, carrying out light maintenance work and generally getting involved with the local people. We want people to see the country properly, not just as a tourist. Our next trip is in November and we have others already planned for next January, March and May.
“As long as you are aged 16 or over, you can come and really help make a difference to people who so desperately need it.”
The trust is also calling on people to sponsor a child so that they can receive an education. Paying £10 a month can do just that. For more information, visit www.lisakenttrust.org.
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