A father from west Suffolk who volunteers with Save the Children is on a mission to establish a branch of the charity in Sudbury.

David Float, 49, from Cavendish, wants to get more local people involved with the work of the organisation, which promotes children’s rights and helps support children in developing countries.

It was established in the UK in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care and economic opportunities, as well as providing emergency aid in natural disasters and conflicts.

But despite the high profile of the charity, there are only 8,000 volunteers across the UK supporting its work and just 20 dedicated groups in East Anglia.

Mr Float, who has two sons, Tom, 21, and Matt, 16, said: “Being a father, a children’s charity was a natural thing for me to want to be involved with. I have been a regular donor to Save the Children for several years and so I asked if there was something more I could do to help.

“The regional manager came down to have a chat with me and I was told there was no local group within travelling distance of Sudbury that I could join.

“So I decided it would be a good idea to try to set one up.”

Mr Float and his wife Alison have been handing out leaflets and putting up posters to raise awareness of the charity’s work and its plans for the future, ahead of a meeting at Sudbury Town Hall next Wednesday evening.

He added: “There will be a brief and informal presentation which will show prospective volunteers how they might be able to help, regardless of how much time they might have spare. It’s about finding local people who can introduce ideas into local schools or businesses on how they can support Save The Children or get involved by undertaking personal challenges.”

The presentation, on September 24, is in the Mayor’s Parlour at Sudbury Town Hall, starting at 7.30pm.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/SudburySaveTheChildren