A bumper bake sale helped an Inverclyde schoolboy raise money for a mercy mission to poverty-hit Ghana

St Columba's High pupil Luke Parker, with support from mum Emma, generated £240 at the recent Gourock Garden Party, which will go towards a trip next year to the African country to carry out vital aid work.

The 15-year-old will be among a group of 12 students and three staff members from the school who will head to Ghana in June 2019 for 18 days with Glasgow-based organisation Connected Global Citizens.

The Parkers have had a stall at the annual garden party for a number of years in aid of various causes and this time round chose to support Luke's aid mission.

Emma, who runs Inverclyde Victim Support in Greenock, said: "I've done this since when my boys were in nursery raising money for one thing or another.

"There was lots of home-baking and Luke made loads of shortbread, which he's great at making.

"I'm really pleased with how much we raised, it was a real family effort."

Pupils and staff will be involved in a building project in Ghana trip, with previous missions seeing school classrooms and accommodation constructed.

The youngsters must raise around £2,600 each to cover the cost of building materials, travel and insurance.

Luke's dad Jamie, who is principal teacher of chemistry at St Columba's, will be accompanying the students along with Jennifer Higgins, from the English department, and technology teacher and organiser Kieran O'Neill.

Jamie said: "Kieran was on a trip before and says it's a great experience for the young people and it's all for a good cause.

"We're going away for 18 days and ten of those will be spent working on a building site, we will essentially be labourers.

"The kids have their own fundraising target and they are planning various things.

"It's got them thinking about how to raise money, which is good in the sense that it gives them a bit of responsibility."