A new charity is being set up to tackle poverty and spread the Christian faith in Romania, writes Madeleine Pennell.

The charity, Reaching Romania, is the brainchild of a group of people in Bicester who have taken aid to the area and now want to expand the work they do there.

Digging wells in villages without water supplies, taking food to people living below the poverty line, paying for medical care and sponsoring individual orphans are among the activities being planned by the charity.

Liaising with existing charity Humanitas, Reaching Romania will also raise money to buy houses at 6,000 a time for homeless people.

Its aims include the advancement of Christianity, which the charity hopes to do by establishing a Christian centre to run summer camps for children during the school holidays. One of the founding members, Kay Grover, of Windmill Avenue, Bicester, first became involved in humanitarian work in Romania when she started teaching English there in 1996.

She realised that many children slipped into the poverty trap because they did not pass the tests needed to get a place in state schools and could not afford the uniform.

Using a derelict building donated by the Romanian government, she set up her own school with colleagues Daniel Negrea and Jackie Ramsey, with the aim of getting the children to reach the minimum standards they need to get into mainstream school. Reaching Romania will help fund the school, where Romanian teachers now educate the children.

She said: "We are trying to get them to integrate into the state system. We are trying to make them self-sufficient. To go to school there you have to pass tests and have the right papers."

She said many girls do not go to school because they do not think it is important.

People are invited to sponsor children living in orphanages at the rate of 20 a month to cover their living expenses.

"We would like people to give money instead of food or things because it is much cheaper if we buy food and goods there.

We are just trying to give the very poorest people dignity and love."

To make a donation to Reaching Romania, call Ms Grover on 01869 248522.