Hundreds of refugees in Chad are set to benefit from the generosity of an Oxford language college.

The King's School, in Temple Road, Temple Cowley, has donated more than 100 old text books to charity Cord, which helps Sudanese refugees who fled the genocide in neighbouring Darfur.

Four hundred young Sudanese people hoping to go to university will be able to use the books, which are only a few years old, to get up to scratch in English.

King's School director of studies Sarah Bacon said: "One of our teacher's sisters works for the organisation, and we are at a time of year when we are taking out some books which are not so old.

"We are thrilled they are being used - I am sure they are going to be very useful because they do not have many materials."

Mrs Bacon said that, as a private international college with students from relatively privileged backgrounds, it was important to raise awareness about the problems in areas like Darfur.

She added: "We are delighted to be able to support a charity, and it raises awareness of the problems out there."

Cord works in four camps in Chad running schools and education schemes for 20,000 people who have fled the genocide - many of whom pay for their classes with bars of soap or other useful items.

The charity's education manager Anne Goddard was evacuated back to Britain last week after being caught up in violence in the nation's capital, N'Djamena, but is planning to return to the country with the new books next week.

She said: "The Sudanese love learning and they realise that education offers them a way to freedom.

"At the moment we are using a handful of books that are 50 years old.

"But if my keenest students don't master a proper grasp of English there is no hope of them achieving their dream of getting to university."

She added: "I can't wait to get back to Chad and get cracking."

More information about the charity's work in the region is available on the website www.cord.org.uk