A FOOTBALL coach is on a mission to inspire people to help those less fortunate than themselves.

Krishnan Patel spent a month volunteering in the country’s Eastern region earlier this year, teaching sport in schools and working with disabled children.

And now he hopes others will take inspiration from his own efforts to make a difference themselves.

The 25-year-old, who grew up in The Haulgh, is currently completing a sports scholarship at Auburn University, in Alabama

But he also had a burning desire to help people who did not have the life opportunities he had enjoyed—particularly those without basic human needs such as food, water, health care and education.

Mr Patel said: “I wanted to do something that was great value and to help people outside my own environment. I didn’t want to be a guy who did something for a charity that didn’t really mean anything to him, and jump on the bandwagon.”

Mr Patel, who is half Indian, had always wanted to go to Africa. And he was drawn to Uganda as his uncle’s family were among those expelled from the country by the the dictator Idi Amin in the 1970s and he was aware of the hardships its people face.

But before flying out to volunteer he and friend Nick Pilling created a gruelling challenge , dubbed The Road2Uganda, which raised more than £4,000.

The pair ran an incredible 115 miles - further than four marathons - in four days.

from Workington, on the west coast of the country to Seaham on the Durham’s east coast,

The money was used to build a new school building which will educate 150 children and employ three teachers.

But although the building has been constructed, the interior has not been completed and the school is in need of teaching materials and equipment. Mr Patel has now released videos of his time in Uganda including footage from an orphanage and work with disabled children in the hope it will inspire more donations.

And although his immediate focus is on getting the school up and running he hopes others will take inspiration from his example.

He said: “If you asked me what’s more important, the money or showing people they can achieve anything, it’s the second one every day of the week.

“I’m trying to show people we are all human, there’s nothing better than us, we can achieve anything together.”

To view Mr Patel’s videos visit his You Tube channel.

And to donate visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Road2Uganda