A 14-year-old girl whose world was torn apart when she lost her dad is travelling halfway around the world to help other children whose lives have been turned upside down.

Amelia Stead will fly 4,500 miles to Nepal next month to help rebuild schools destroyed in the 2015 earthquake.

She is making the trip with other teenagers from the Forces Children's Trust which helps youngsters who have lost a parent while serving in the armed forces.

Amelia, who lives with her mum and sister in Wantage, lost her dad David when she was just two-and-a-half years old.

He died while serving with the RAF in Iraq in 2005.

Amelia, who goes to King Alfred's Academy in Wantage, said: "I wanted to go and help other children so they had a place to learn.

"We've got the opportunity to learn in this country, so why can't they? It's not their fault that their homes were destroyed."

The 2015 earthquake in Nepal on April 25 killed nearly 9,000 people and injured almost 22,000.

With a magnitude of 7.8 on the Richter Scale, tremors were felt in nearby countries Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.

The county, which is home to Mount Everest, is poor: many homes, schools and other buildings were not built to withstand an earthquake of such a magnitude.

Amelia and the 14 others on her team will fly into one of Nepal's major airports on April 1, then spend several days trekking to one of the worst-hit areas.

The team will have to arrange their own accommodation when they get out there and each member has to raise £550 towards expedition costs before they set out.

Over the 16 days they are in the county they will help rebuild classrooms and even do some teaching.

Amelia, who is in year ten, said: "I'm nervous but I am looking forward to it.

"I'm excited to see such a different culture and being with a different type of people learning new things."

Amelia has been going to Forces Children's Trust events since shortly after her dad died.

She added: "It just makes me feel like I'm not the only one who's going through it.

"It's nice to be around people who understand – even if you don't actually talk about it."

Sponsor Amelia's expedition online at crowdfunder.co.uk/amelias-nepal-expedition