Generous Stratford teacher Gareth Morris has returned from his epic journey to Africa - raising nearly �35,000 to help street children.

Gareth, who left his job at Gainsborough Primary School to raise awarenss and funds to help some of the world’s poorest homeless children, left Trafalgar Square last August to cycle all the way to Cape Town, South Africa.

Along with five of his friends, Gareth has travelled 12,000 miles from nearly 30 countries in partnership with Cycle Africa who say it costs only �200 to take a child off the street.

The team have been updating their blog, and the Recorder, on their monumental journey from start to finish and, to date, they have raised �33,839.03.

When we last caught up with Gareth, he had just left a family of gorillas and the Zambezi river to head to the beaches of Mozambique.

After getting up close to a family of rhinos in Hlane National Park, Swaziland, they eventually arrived in South Africa where they headed to the sugar cane fields of Zululand near Durban to visit another charity project that teaches street children how to surf.

On finally arriving in South Africa, Gareth said: “Seeing the sign for South Africa was a momentous day.

“It signified the last border crossing and a step nearer to our final destination.

“After teaching alongside so many South African teachers during my career and hearing their stories about South Africa, I was incredibly excited to be finally here.

“In every country we have been to, we have met amazingly friendly people, South Africa was no exception.

“People stopped us at the side of the road, offered to put us up in their homes and offered us food or water.”

To read more about Gareth’s journey, visit his educational blog at www.dinoandlion.wordpress.com, email him at cycleafricagaz@gmail.com or donate at http://www.justgiving.com/sponsorcycleafrica.