A BRADLEY naval officer is preparing to work with orphans in South Africa.

Tiffany Ridge, who serves in the Royal Navy, will fly out to an orphanage in the country to help children abandoned by Aids.

The 21-year-old has served in the Royal Navy for three years and is currently on board HMS Northumberland.

She and seven of her colleagues are taking part in the trip and hope to make a difference to the lives of the children.

The warfare specialist said: “Our aim is to provide safe play areas for children, lay paths and the possible chance of building a chicken house.

“This will provide long term sustainability to the orphanage.”

The former Mirfield Free Grammar pupil joined the navy aged 19 and works within the Electronic Warfare Team.

During 2007, she was sent to the Mediterranean and spent time in a boys orphanage in Alexandria, Egypt.

Her time there gave her the taste for helping others.

She added: “From working there certain members of the team including myself wanted to continue giving aid or help in anyway we can to those in need.

“Our medical officer, Ruth Barker, whose father left work in Britain to go out there as a doctor, told us about the orphanage and how desperately it is in need of work, so the opportunity arose and we gathered a team.”

During her stay, she hopes to build a jungle gym, a kitchen and carry out maintenance work to make the centre more homely for orphans.

She also wants to spend time with the children.

Before she signed up to serve in the Royal Navy, Tiffany worked at Whiteley’s Garden Centre and at Bradley Park Golf Club.

South African churches are providing the team with accommodation during their stay and transport has been provided by Avis, who are also sponsoring the trip.