A GROUP of teenagers had a life-changing experience helping families in a deprived area of America.

The group from Dursley Tabernacle Church went to Nicaragua, a country in the southern part of North America, last summer to work with poor communities. Reflecting on their trip, the volunteers said it has given them a new perspective on life.

The group of 12 people from the church, eight of them under 21, visited the city of Bluefields where there is extreme poverty and the children scavenge on rubbish tips for food.

Natalie Franks, 18, said: "To see this felt shattering. When you see it, you cannot believe that people live like this, and these people are so happy, thankful and appreciative to be alive. It makes you realise how lucky we are."

The team held a party for 200 children from the local tip and worked in an orphanage, clearing gardens and painting the building.

"Our interaction with the children who live in Bluefields was huge, and very touching, whether it was playing a game or singing a song, it seemed to mean the world to the children," said Natalie.

The group then visited La Barra, a small community on the Caribbean coast only accessible by boat.

They mended a wind turbine, which was the only source of electricity for the people there, and refurbished the medical clinic.

Inland they visited an organic Fairtrade coffee farm, which ships coffee beans to the Lighthouse, in Parsonage Street, Dursley.

Sarah Bilous, 18, added: "The trip was such a fantastic experience and has made me value life in this country so much more.

"To see the people in Nicaragua - especially the children on the rubbish tip - was upsetting and made me realise how lucky I am to have such an easy life.

"I miss being in Nicaragua so much now and am so proud of what all of us have achieved. I can safely say it was a life-changing experience."