A YOUNG campaigner from Harrow has been recruited to help the work of an international children’s charity.

Pooja Khatri, 15, has signed up to the Youth Advisory Panel (YAP) of Plan UK.

She joins fellow teenagers from across the country on the 13-member group, which gives a youth perspective on Plan’s projects.

Plan works with children in the world’s poorest countries with aims including children having safe drinking water, education and working with communities to prepare for and survive natural disasters.

Pooja, who attends Hatch End High School, said: “There are millions around the world experiencing poverty and crisis – Plan gets involved and looks to help.

“I want to be that one person who is heard, learns, is passionate and helping and making a difference.

“My friends think it’s great that I’m part of YAP - they see me being constructive, not just lazing around, “It’s always good to see a friend be part of something that makes a difference – my family are really proud of me.

“I hope everyone can be involved in some way to be part of a good cause – we can’t do everything but we can all do something.”

Pooja and her colleagues will meet up regularly to assess Plan’s work and raise awareness of global issues among their peers.

The panel has run campaigns on climate change and promoting girls’ rights in some of the world’s poorest countries.

The charity’s youth engagement co-ordinator Jo Dempster said: “YAP provides Plan with an invaluable youth perspective.

“It puts young people’s voices at the heart of Plan’s work because they have ideas, experience and know more about childhood than adults.

“Their input can help Plan to understand how to work with the young people whose lives it aims to improve.”