INSPIRED by a doctor who set up his own team in rural Namibia, staff at Skipton based Holt Doctors have raised £1500.

The money will be spent on helping to equip children for secondary school, including buying books, school bags, uniform, shoes and stationery.

And an amount will be used to set up the first San football tournament in the region and a team kit for the new San netball team.

Dr Paul Snape works for the San tribe at a Lifeline Clinic which provides primary healthcare to almost 3,500 patients every year, 40 percent being children and babies, and more than 90 percent are San Bushmen.

The clinic also transports and admits patients in urgent need of medical attention to the nearest hospital in Gobabis, 120km away.

Alongside his work at the clinic, Dr Snape has also started a village football team and works closely with local school children, trying to keep school attendance rates as high as possible.

He undertakes occasional locum work for Holt Doctors, based at the Belle Vue Mills in Skipton, in order to pay for his flights to and from Namibia.

A spokesman for Holt Doctors said "Having read his blog, many of the team from our Skipton office wanted to do more for the San community.

"Through various fundraisers, raffles, collections and a world food day in the office, the team managed to raise a fantastic £1500.

"The agency also collected shoes, football boots and clothes for the children, who often don’t have shoes and end up needing stitches in their feet regularly."

Dr Snape said: “Thank you to all at Holt Doctors. The children will be so pleased to have the school equipment. Having Holt Doctors also support the football and netball teams is important in a community living in extreme poverty."

More information on the Holt Doctors’s charity work and its current vacancies can be found on the website: www.holtdoctors.co.uk