On December 10 Jodie Underhill flies to India, where she will be working as a volunteer at the Tibetan Children's Village making much needed improvements to the charity's child sponsorship programme, until May.

While she is out there Jodie, of Todmorden, will also be writing funding bids for Cornholme Community Project - but it could all depend on if someone, a person or business, could donate a laptop computer to her, as she explains.

Jodie, who works at a Rossendale Hospice and is a member of the Calder Valley's Love 4 Tibet group, has been fundraising for some time to cover the cost of her air fares, accommodation and to fund some of her work out there, but the last minute breakdown of her laptop will cause real problems as she can't afford to buy another one.

"My laptop computer is something I use every single day. I was supposed to be doing a presentation a week or so ago and wanted to check it, but it just wouldn't switch on at all," she said.

"I have managed to get a lot of my data retrieved onto a disc which cost me £50 but it has left me with a big problem. If anyone can help out I would be delighted to hear from them - it needs to be a laptop because of transportation. I will have to carry it with me as I am backpacking my way out there."

In the meantime Jodie has a final fundraising event at nightclub The Venue in Todmorden town centre on Friday, December 5. It will be a dance music night featuring Strictly Vinyl and with a big name, De Hooch, on the DJ bill.

Tickets must be pre-sold for the event and they are available from Spice of India restaurant, Todmorden, Halo at Patmos, Todmorden, and the Good Food Shop in the square at Hebden Bridge. You can also order tickets from Jodie by email at ujodie@hotmail.com

She thanked the club for letting her have the venue free of charge and the shops for helping with ticket sales.

Jodie said there are 16,000 children in various Tibetan Children's Village school communities in India and her first brief is to improve the way its sponsorship programme works. After arriving in Mumbai she will be heading for Dharamsala in the far north of India.

In the first instance she will assess the current needs of the children and report back to her Board of Advisors and friends with her views on the priorities - and how the organisation can move forward. As well as helping improve its sponsorship programme one practical thing she would like to develop is establishing more window gardens for the children.

The villages are governed by a registered charity with the support of their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who was forced to flee Tibet after Chinese occupation in 1950.