RUTH WHICKER had only managed to save £10 towards her backpacking trip before a serious car accident ended her hopes of travelling round the world with her friends.

Ruth, 22, of New Road, Croxley Green, had just opened a savings account and made her first deposit when she was injured in the accident in Lincolnshire last September.

The accident left her with a badly injured back which prevented her from working for six months.

She remains unable to run and has had to undergo a long process of rehabilitation and physiotherapy.

Ruth, who graduated from Leicester University last summer, said: "I had just paid off my student loan before I was in the accident.

"I had just opened a savings account and had put £10 in it and that is all that is in it now.

"I wanted to go travelling but now I can't go backpacking as I wanted to do because I have lower back problems from the accident.

"I would not have been able to go when my other friends went, partly because of finances, because I couldn't work for so long, but also physically I would not have able to do it."

Instead, Ruth and her friend Joanna Cousins, from Radlett, are planning to travel to Thailand to volunteer as workers in an orphanage for eight weeks in June, next year.

The pair will volunteer in the Samakkeewitthaya Orphanage in Sing Buri, an industrial town 150km north of Bangkok, where they will teach English to the 350 orphans, help run the vegetable garden and provide support to the youngsters.

Both Ruth and Joanna studied psychology at university and are hoping to use their experiences in Thailand to help them both develop careers in educational psychology when they return. Ruth said: "I think it will be quite a shock to see them living without things we are used to and I think it will be quite a draining experience emotionally.

"As much as we are looking forward to seeing the culture and the country I think it will be quite a big shock.

"We are slightly apprehensive."

In between the work the pair hope that they will be able to fit in some sightseeing during their trip, even though they will be working in the orphanage for most of their time.

Ruth said: "We are still going to try and get an understanding of the place and the country and the culture as well before we start in the orphanage.

"I have never been out of Europe so that in itself it is exciting.

"We are hoping to be able to go and look round a Buddhist monastery and I would still like to go and see the Bridge over the River Kwai.

"I don't know if we will get time because for the most part we will be working in the orphanage."

The pair are now hoping to raise money for the orphanage and so they can take toys and gifts out to Thailand.

For more information about the project and how to donate email Ruth and Jo at thailandproject@hotmail.co.uk.