SAMANTHA Ann Jones is back at school following a successful Guiding trip to Poland.

The 16 year-old has just joined the Sixth Form at St Mary's High School.

But while she was in Poland, Samantha (pictured) - a member of the 9th Tyldesley Guides - still found time to phone home for her GCSE results!

Samantha was chosen as one of 10 Guides from the North West to travel to Perkoz to take part in an international gathering of Guides. She is a Young Leader for the Astley (St Stephen's) Rainbow Unit and had to raise the money herself.

Her mum Ann, 42, a nurse at Booth Hall, said: "She wrote to people and contacted the local Rotary Club and Soroptimists as well as a local organisation called the Friends of Astley Scouts and Guides who all kindly contributed towards her trip. In the end she raised the £400 which she needed to cover the time she was away."

Samantha is hoping to go to medical school and train to be a doctor, following in the family tradition for medicine. Her dad David, 40, is Chief Biomedical Scientist at Pendlebury Children's Hospital, while her brother Stuart, 18, has started at Reading University reading Cybernetics.

Ann added: "Samantha has her eyes set on going to St Andrew's Medical School in Scotland because of its reputation, but if she manages to get into any good medical school she will be more than pleased."

Of her trip Samantha herself commented: "It was very interesting because the way the scouts are run is very different to the English Scouts and Guides. On the camp there were also scouts and guides from Hungary, Yugoslavia, and many other countries.

"The homestay was also interesting as it gave me an insight as to how the people work on a day-to-day basis. The people were very hospitable and kind and I had a brilliant time and would love to go again. I would like to thank everyone who helped raise the money."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.