A talented harpist who is about to embark on a volunteering expedition to Africa has been entertaining residents of a Ballasalla care home.

Alexandra Rotheroe, aged 25, from Laxey, performed to the residents at Abbotswood nursing home in exchange for a donation from law firm Simcocks to her fundraising efforts for the project to Kenya.

Alexandra will be working in Machakos, Kenya, for Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) and said that she is going because ’I want others to have the same opportunities as me.’

Her work will focus on supporting Kenya’s unemployed youth. About 40% of the country is unemployed and 60% of those are young people.

Her harp playing skills are not the only way she has been raising money, Alexandra has been selling some of things she no longer uses, offering to baby sit or walk dogs.

And with her travel and visa paid for, all the money she raises will be going to help the people in Machakos.

Alexandra said: ’Volunteering with VSO is something I’ve looked at doing since graduating.

’I was offered a position as a volunteer in Nicaragua when I graduated in 2015 but decided to accept my job offer to work in the international relations department at University of Birmingham.

’When my job contract ended as marketing officer with the Sex Education Forum in London in October, I applied to be a team leader as part of the International Citizen Service (ICS) and was awarded a place.

’I’ve been asked to lead a group of 20 volunteers (both British and Kenyan) in a community called Machakos, about 60km away from Nairobi, to work with young people in youth empowerment and entrepreneurship with the aim to build their economy and fight poverty.’

A spokesman for Simcocks said: ’We heard about Alexandra’s mission through a mutual acquaintance, who also mentioned that she’s a harpist.

’So we thought it would be lovely to have her play for the residents of a care home, after our chief executive Phil Games had recently visited, and in exchange we would donate towards her project.’

To read more on Alexandra’s story or to make a donation, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/alexandra-rotheroe93.