BUILDERS merchant RGB Building Supplies, which has a branch in Wellington, has joined forces with South-West based charity Amigos and is inviting local people to give pre-loved tools, which will be used by young people in Africa to help them lift themselves and their families out of poverty.

Pre-loved hand, power and gardening tools can be placed in the collection bags in RGB’s Wellington branch until Wednesday, July 31. Amigos will then arrange for the donations to be collected, repaired and shipped to Africa.

The charity has been working in Uganda for nearly 20 years and for the last nine it has been providing vocational training. This includes conservation farming, carpentry, building and tailoring over a 12-month period, to up to 50 young people affected by war, HIV and abject poverty.

The donated tools will be an instrumental part of this training, which helps to create vital apprenticeships and employment.

Amigos volunteer and project leader Roger Bartlett said: “At Amigos we firmly believe that Ugandans are the solution to their problem of poverty.

“By equipping young people in vocational skills at Kira Farm, we have seen time and again how they are able to transform the lives of not just themselves, but their families and the wider community, too.

“We are absolutely delighted that RGB has agreed to partner with us in helping to provide much-needed tools that will give our trainees and others the very best chance of succeeding.”

RGB Wellington branch manager Ed Hegarty added: “Many of us have tools that we don’t use and it’s these that will help change the lives of the young people supported by Amigos, so we’re encouraging our customers and the local community to bring them to our donation point. In advance, we’d like to thank everyone who supports the appeal.”

RGB’s Wellington branch is located on Westpark 26.