A Strawberry Hill mother is calling for people to follow her lead and sponsor a child in ebola-stricken Sierra Leone.

Alison de Verteuil, 53, has been sponsoring 13-year-old Ibrahim Kandeh, who lives in the rural town of Kono which has been devastated by the outbreak, since 2009.

And now she is urging others to get involved with the ActionAid charity to support other children like Ibrahim.

She said: "This form of giving felt like you were really making a difference to someone’s life.

"It is great to watch and follow a child’s progress over the years and to have a connection personally.

"As a family we wrote to Ibrahim and always look forward to hearing from him."

To donate, visit actionaid.org.uk/ebola.