THREE schoolchildren are swapping 20 hours of school for 20 hours of helping out at St Richard's Hospice in Worcester.

The Year 10 students from the River School in Claines are undertaking the community service as part of their vocational Asdan qualification.

William Deane, Connor Baird and Habibah Zamir, all aged 14, are working with staff at the hospice supporting visitors, as well as helping with gardening and general maintenance for two hours each week for a 10 week period.

Robert Standfield, head of education at the Hospice said: “We welcomed the opportunity to give the students a variety of work experience in the hospice. It’s a very good way to give them an insight into how we care for patients and families and what hospice care means within our local community. We hope they have learned from the experience and will also help spread the word about hospice care through their own networks.”