TWO sisters will cross London’s bridges in a fancy dress fundraising mission.

Student Laura Packer, 21, and her sister Emma, 25, are hoping the money raised from the 10.5-mile walk across ten bridges will help Laura travel to South America, where she is planning to work with underprivileged children.

Laura, of Shipwrights Drive, Thundersley, has to spend a year working abroad as part of the degree in Spanish and Portuguese for which she is studying for at Sheffield University.

She had the option to do paid work in Europe, but after visiting South America in her gap year and seeing some of the problems there, she decided to go back and volunteer on education projects.

She said: “I wanted to do something which would be of value to someone else as well, because at university everything you’re doing is really for yourself.”

She is working to pay her travel costs herself, but needs to raise funds to buy teaching supplies.

So she has roped sister Emma into taking part in the fundraising walk on Sunday, dressed in the colours of the Brazilian and El Salvadorian flags, the countries she will be working in. In El Salvador, the smallest country in South America, Laura will be working on dance, theatre and music projects with some of the country’s poorest children.

She is also looking for donations of recorders and other small musical instruments which she can take with her.

Then it is off to Brazil to teach English to girls, aged between six and 17, who live in the slums outside the city of Salvador.

Laura said: “The education system is in dire straits and they rely on organisations like the one I’m working with to provide education.

“In El Salavdor, the project tries to lower the school drop-out rate and eradicate child labour, which is still a big problem.

“I want to create awareness and encourage people to go there because it is such a beautiful country.”

Anyone who would like to donate instruments, or sponsor the sisters on their walk, can call Laura on 07825160304 or e-mail muao61p@sheffield.ac.uk