A KIND businessman is giving a 10-year-old girl the opportunity to go on a special trip abroad.

Frank Peel, who owns Marshall’s Butchers on Corporation Road, Workington, is sponsoring Katherine Caine’s trip to Val de Reuil in France.

Six children from South Workington Youth Partnership had already been selected to go on the trip, sponsored by the Workington Twinning Association’s committee.

But Mr Peel decided to give an extra child from the Moorclose-based group the chance to join them.

He said: “My mum, dad and myself lived at Moorclose for over 40 years.

“When I was a child, there were big parks, plenty to do, and now there isn’t and it’s quite a shame. There’s quite a lot of poverty in the area and I wanted to give an extra child the opportunity to go.

“I hope every child that gets to go to France enjoys it.

“They’ve probably never got on a plane or gone on holiday, so I hope it’s a great experience for them.”

Angela Good, of South Workington Youth Partnership, said: “It’s a great opportunity for the children to get this experience and make new friends.

“It’s a wonderful way to show them a different, yet similar, culture.

“When Frank said he would pay for another child to go, we were blown away.

“The children were so surprised and I could have cried, it was so nice of him.”