A Southampton school is appealing for help to transport boxes of stationery and other supplies to schoolchildren in tsunami-hit communities.

Pupils, staff and friends of Oaklands Community School have been collecting pens, pencils, and notepads as well as uniforms to send to children in the most devastated areas.

Now they want to deliver the supplies to former Oaklands teacher Giles Jacobson who left Southampton in July 2003 to teach maths in a school in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka.

He escaped unhurt after the Boxing Day disaster and used the rest of his holiday to take supplies he had bought in the capital to the worst hit communities, supported by donations from friends.

Every weekend he continues to drive supplies down to two of the worst affected towns of Galle and Unawatuna.

Teachers Kat Chivers and Graham Cole will be joining him next month in the relief effort and are appealing for help with the transportation of the stationery, books and uniforms, or financial donations.

Mr Cole said: "We are hoping that there is someone or even a company out there who could help our school's humanitarian efforts."

If you can help call the school on 023 8039 3660.