An Oxford couple have enlisted the help of villagers in Kennington to raise £10,000 to help children escape slave labour in India.

The Integrate Village Development Trust, run by Mike and Margaret Wright, of St John Street, Oxford, will mark its 10th anniversary this year.

The trust has set up a residential training centre in Garhwa, in the state of Jharkand, to help children as young as six escape slave labour in carpet factories in one of the poorest parts of the sub-continent.

Now, villagers in Kennington have agreed to give funds raised by Kennington Overseas Aid to the project. Mr and Mrs Wright have a long history of charity work. Mr Wright helped run Help the Aged, and, in 1987, he headed the UK arm of the United Nations International year of shelter for the homeless.

While working in India for four years, the couple discovered many children were being sold by their families to work in carpet factories.

In 1992, IVDT set up a training centre in Gharwa and children are offered six-month placements where they learn skills in welding, bike repairs and sewing.

The money raised by KOA will help set up a revolving loans scheme to help people set up small businesses using the skills they have learned.

Mr Wright said: "The loans fund is going to be very important. We want to make sure these kids have a future after such a bleak start."

KOA chairman Sylvia Vetta said street collections, a village fete and concerts were planned to raise funds.