THE generosity of Darwen people has enabled a local charity worker to help set up a nightshelter for children in India.

Pat Monks, 52, first heard of the El Shaddi Charitable Trust for homeless children in Goa when she visited the country on holiday with her husband.

Each time she has been to Goa since, she has visited the deprived children and taken donations of clothes and cash.

She was hoping to go back to Goa at the end of this year with around £1,000 to be used to run a nightshelter. But after an appeal for help and two cake sales in Darwen, the money began to build up and around £1,300 has now been collected.

Pat said: "I am really pleased with what has been raised and would like to thank everyone who helped and baked cakes. Donations from people just started to pour in and I was amazed.

"I was hoping to take the money over myself but my trip has been postponed until February because I am going on a Christian mission to Africa in November. I will be sending the money to the charity office with a note to say we want it to go specifically to a nightshelter.

"It's somewhere homeless children can walk straight into off the street and makes them feel they have somewhere to go."

The El Shaddi Charitable Trust, set up by British woman Anita Edgar, started with 25 children. Last year the figure had risen to 250 children and this year is more than 300.