A FIFE-BASED air force squadron deployed to India took time out of its exercise to help children in the area.

The 43 (Fighter) Squadron from RAF Leuchars worked with a school for under-privileged children and an orphanage and made substantial donations to both causes.

Before the squadron, nicknamed the Fighting Cocks, left for Gwalior, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, for the exercise it collected money around the station, held a raffle at the station’s rugby club and appealed to local companies to donate money and equipment, such as football strips.

The first project the squadron helped was run by the Indian Air Force Wives Association and was a school for under-privileged children, mostly those of casual labourers employed around Gwalior air station.

Members of the squadron spent time with the children, aged from three to 14, and presented the school with 60,000 rupees, equivalent to around £710.

The money will be used to buy winter uniforms, much-needed equipment and, hopefully, a extra teacher.

Children were also given hats, pens, stickers, badges, key rings and other trinkets and teachers received items to use as rewards for good behaviour.

The squadron also spent two days at the Snehalya children’s home, which is run by the UK-registered Gwalior Children’s Hospital Charity.

Snehalya—Hindi for “home with love”—has a rehabilitation and vocational training centre for destitute and disabled children and the squadron engineers played with the youngsters and took them toys and sweets.

The home was presented with a cheque for 65,000 rupees (around £770), which will be used to equip one of its self-contained houses, and buy sports kits.

Two squadron members, senior aircraftmen Mat Beech and John Wynn, also spent a day with the mobile hospital run by Gwalior Children’s Hospital Charity which was given a donation of medical supplies to be distributed among its projects.