AN AWARD-WINNING Bradford solicitor has swapped the courtroom for the classroom, to help African orphans.

Anne-Marie Hutton, a partner with Bradford law firm Petherbridge Bassra, is spending two weeks in a remote rural area of Uganda, teaching life skills to children caught up in a war zone.

Miss Hutton, 34, who regularly represents clients at Bradford Crown Court, volunteered to help out for a charity, Serve Direct, which was set up by her sister-in-law's family.

The charity has built a school for 400 orphans, as well as a resource centre, library and medical centre over the last ten years.

Miss Hutton said she would be teaching life skills to scores of youngsters and joining them in sporting activities and singing and dancing during her stay.

Before setting out for Africa, she said: "The children have sat their exams and it will be end of term down time for them. I will be helping to prepare them for the next step in their lives, and encourage them to build on the education they have been fortunate to receive.

"I could be teaching kids in classrooms built for anything from 20 children to 400. I have never taught before, so I am just going to wing it!"

Miss Hutton qualified as a solicitor in 2006 and the following year was given the right to practice as a solicitor advocate in the crown court. In 2009 she was honoured by the Bradford Law Society with a prestigious prize for her legal contribution to the city.

She said she had been supported for her African trip by Petherbridge Bassra and colleagues had contributed books, games, soft toys and sports equipment for her to take.

She said the children, who were from primary school age to 18, had been rescued from a war zone and an environment where nobody had an income and AIDS was rife.

"These children have nobody and their possessions may consist of a box of sugar and a blanket," Miss Hutton said.

"I wanted to do something exciting and totally different and to make good use of my time. I can't wait to see so many kids in a classroom, play sports with them and, more than anything, just to chat with them about their lives, try to encourage them and leave them with some hope.

"It will be a really humbling experience and I am sure will make me more grateful for the opportunities I have had."