An Esher-based engineering firm is working together with a charity and another firm to build a 90 metre footbridge in Uganda.

Tony Gee and Partners, of High Street in Esher, is sending a team of 5 volunteers to Namakhokolo at the end of August.

The team will be working together with Knights Brown Construction, who are also sending 5 volunteers, and the charity Bridges to Prosperity.

Civil engineers from the two engineering firms will help build a footbridge across the River Passa, which has claimed 12 lives in the past three years.

The new bridge seeks to provide safe access for 4,000 people to essential services such as schools and medical facilities and boost the local economy.

Tony Gee and Knights Brown fundraised £15,000 throughout the summer through a number of activities, such as the Yorkshire Three Peaks, a 24 mile ascent and descent completed within 12 hours.

Zoe Barnett, who is a Tony Gee volunteer, said: “I am looking forward to what will be an incredibly rewarding experience, both for myself and most importantly, the communities that this bridge will benefit from.

“It will be great to be able to see first-hand what a positive impact our work as civil engineers can do.

“Being able to work with members of the local communities will be a fantastic experience, especially as these are the people that will directly benefit from the bridge.”