A DETERMINED Hermitage Academy pupil has arranged a walk from Helensburgh to Balloch this weekend in order to help her achieve her ambition of working with disabled and vulnerable children in a Vietnam orphanage.

Riana Jones, 17, is trying to raise £2,300 for the trip - and is hoping that her walk this Saturday, September 24, will get her closer to her target.

Riana, who has raised £450 so far, said: “I had heard of people doing walks to raise money before so I thought I’d give it a try. It helps me and others stay active and we can enjoy the scenery and have a good afternoon socialising.

“I have had a lot of people say they are going to come, I think a lot of people might just turn up on the day. I’m not looking to raise a certain amount - anything is appreciated and gets me a little closer.”

Riana has wanted to go abroad and help disadvantaged children for as long as she can remember, and applied through the Global Volunteer Network Foundation.

All Riana has to do is sign on to the trip she wants when she has raised the funds.

She added: “I saw the application on Facebook so I applied but I didn’t expect to get accepted and then I got an email to say I had a place.

“The next thing I need to do is book my place on a trip once I have the funds I need. I want to help make a difference in people’s lives. In the future I'd like to go abroad to somewhere less fortunate and teach so this will allow me to see whether it is definitely what I want to do.”

Riana is asking that anyone who comes along on the walk gives a donation - and while she is raising funds herself, she has decided to give 10 per cent of the donations on the day to Helensburgh and Lomond Carers SCIO to help with the work that they do.

She said: “They have given me support when I’ve needed it and the job that they do is amazing. I would like to show them that I and others appreciate them and everything that they do.”

Riana is hoping that by fundraising and going on this trip she will have a firmer idea of what she wants to do in the future.

When asked what she was hoping to achieve from the experience, she said: “I’m hoping to meet new people and help others. I also would like to see if this is the type of work I would like to do in the future.

“I’ve been thinking for a while that once I qualify as a teacher I would like to try and help those less fortunate.

“This trip will help me to understand what is involved in that type of work. I can't think of anything more rewarding than to see a child I know and have helped, achieve their dreams and ambitions in life.

“I would like to see what things are like myself so that I can appreciate what I have and also so I can understand what goes on outside of my community.”

Anyone interested in going along and supporting Riana in her fund-raising walk this Saturday is asked to meet at Helensburgh Upper at 1.50pm, to leave at 2pm. Participants are asked to dress for any weather and bring a snack and a drink.