STUDENTS and staff from one of the region's schools have given up their home comforts and are living rough to help raise awareness about global poverty.

The 12 pupils and three teachers from English Martyrs School in Hartlepool are living in a garden in the school grounds for three days, drinking nothing but water and eating UN rations.

The event, called I'm a Refugee - Get Me Out of Here, has been organised in connection with the Make Poverty History campaign.

The youngsters taking part, a mix of sixth form and year 11 students, are Anna Gouldburn, 16, Gautam Sivakumar, 17, Helen Cordiner, 17, Kirsty Eastwood, 17, Kim Kirby, 17, Imran Javed, 17, Richard McClelland, 17, Sarah Miller, 17, Ishita Sinha, 16, Anthony Frain, 17, Nicol Perryman, 16, and Catherine Eyre, 16.

Staff who have given up their home comforts are head of religious education Nick Dunn, teaching assistant Emma Shuttleworth and area youth co-ordinator Jeremy Cain.

Student Anna Gouldburn said: "The students taking part are all members of the school Cafod (the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) group, and were keen to do something to raise awareness of global poverty and the plight of refugees around the world.

"We thought it would be a good idea to experience, albeit for a limited time, the sort of lifestyle many refugees have to put up with indefinitely. Our food and drink will be extremely limited, and we have to construct our own shelters from materials provided.

"We aim to get the rest of the school involved by asking them to list the most important things for living. These could, for example, be education, healthcare or food. The one they feel is least important we will do without.

"So, if they feel that education is least important, we won't be allowed to talk for a day, and if they choose food, then we will do without a meal."

Teaching assistant Emma Shuttleworth, who runs the Cafod group, said: "The project aims to make the students more aware of what's outside their own front doors - that many children have no access to clean water, healthcare or primary education.

"It's about teaching them that there's life beyond their computer games and comfortable lifestyles, and help them appreciate what they have."

As part of the project, the students will be giving talks to other students and asking them to sign petitions. They will also be working closely with pupils at two local primary schools, Sacred Heart and St Teresa's.