PENCIL cases made in Wellington, given by the Ladies of Millway Chapel, are going to Roma children in central Europe.

The charity 4H – Helping HIS Hungarian Heroes – says illiteracy and poverty are major problems among the gypsy population of the Hungarian-speaking regions of Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania and northern Serbia, and Hungary itself.

Churches are trying to help by providing youngsters with after-school clubs to help with their education, and especially reading and writing, along with meals.

The charity says the pencil cases and their contents will go to Roma children who really need them and will be proud to have pencil cases of their own.

In the picture (from left) are Barbara Doffin, Pam Clarke and Rosemary Barrett from 4H.