Gedling MP Vernon Coaker visited Carlton le Willows Academy to give his backing to two of the school’s Year 10 students due to take their calls for extra funding for global education to the Conservative Party Conference next month.

Geography students Ella Foster and Ella Henry have already lobbied Parliament in their roles as national Campaign Champions for the Send My Friend to School campaign (two of just 22 Champions nationwide).

This week Vernon Coaker visited Carlton le Willows to accept 450 jigsaw pieces completed by students in Years 7, 8 and 9 – and pledged to present them to the Secretary of State for International Development Priti Patel calling for a greater proportion of the UK aid budget to be invested in education.

And on October 2 the 14-year-old students will travel to Manchester to take their message – a call for every child in the world to get a quality education by 2030 – to delegates at the Conservative Party Conference.

Vernon Coaker MP told Academy students: “What Ella and Ella are doing, and what the school is doing, is trying to make a difference. You’re not prepared to say the problem is so big you can’t do anything about it.

“This is a great tribute to the young people involved and to all of you at Carlton le Willows. I will make sure the Prime Minister sees these pledges and I will let you know what she and the Secretary of State for International Development say.”

Mrs Kate Wood, a teacher at Carlton le Willows, has supported Ella and Ella throughout the campaign. She said: “I am so proud of the girls. They have been wonderful ambassadors for the school and in speaking up on behalf of more than 300,000 young people who have taken part in this campaign this year. It is great to see young people empowered to speak directly to MPs and the Government Ministers who make these decisions on behalf of the British people.”

Ema Jackson, Campaigns Manager for Send My Friend to School said: “Education is powerful and transformative, and a basic human right for all children but despite this, 236 million receive no education and many more are in school but not learning. The world is experiencing an urgent education crisis. So I am delighted that Ella and Ella at Carlton le Willows are engaging with Vernon Coaker MP to demand the UK invests in the future of the world.”

Players and staff at Carlton Town have been left devastated after the sudden death of their club secretary.

Paul Shelton, 60, died over the weekend after a recent illness.

He had been involved with the club for over 40 years.

Mr Shelton recently had a brief spell in hospital, but had returned home and was hoping to return to his post at Stoke Lane next month.

The sad news was relayed to Carlton officials on Monday morning after a phone call from his devastated sister.

Chairman Mick Garton said the club were “devastated by the news”.

He said:  “I have been Chairman for 17 years and Paul as been by my side throughout that time as secretary at the club.

“He was brilliant at his job and cared deeply for the club, often putting his own money in to help pay towards the outgoings.

“Paul worked for the love of the club, never taking out, always putting in and was an invaluable member of our team and not having him around is going to be so strange and equally difficult for so many of us”

“Our thoughts at the moment are obviously with his family but I would just like to thank everyone who as been in touch with me and others at the club today including former managers Tommy Brookbanks and Les Mcjannet who both worked with Paul for many years and held him in such high regard”.

He added: “It has been a sad day indeed and the place will never quite be the same without him; we will miss him so much”