Tracey GrayCharity bosses who have not been able to secure enough funding for an initiative to send Norfolk school pupils to see this year's World Cup in South Africa have vowed to carry on with fundraising so the children will still get to visit the country.Tracey Gray

Charity bosses who have not been able to secure enough funding for an initiative to send Norfolk school pupils to see this year's World Cup in South Africa have vowed to carry on with fundraising so the children will still get to visit the country.

Norfolk-based charity Rainbow Nations had been aiming to send seven teams of seven students for the trip of a lifetime to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa for the World Cup game next month.

Year eight pupils from Cromer High, Sheringham High, Hellesdon High, Acle High, Old Buckenham High, City Academy Norwich and King Edward VII School in Kings Lynn, had been selected after winning a competition set up by the charity, which champions building bridges through sport.

But pupils have been given the disappointing news that will not be possible after the charity were not able to secure enough sponsorship from local businesses to make the dream come true.

Amalia Hendricks, founder of Rainbow Nations, said: 'The focus of the project is about learning and education and the building of bridges, it is a three year project so it will not be too late for the pupils to go to South Africa, it is just unfortunate they will not be there for the World Cup.

'We will continue to raise funds so the school pupils can go to South Africa. We will continue on and will keep the project alive.'

Pupils were asked to produce work which showed how sport is used to reach across different communities particularly focusing on Norfolk and Gauteng, a province in South Africa.

As part of the Rainbow Nations project, South Africa skipper and Portsmouth midfielder Aaron Mokoena , who will be captaining South Africa in the World Cup, came to Norfolk last month, when football teams from schools that have supported the initiative were given the chance to show what they can do on the field.

Alastair Ogle deputy head of Hellesdon High, the school which has been leading the Rainbow Nations project, said: 'From the outset all the students in all of the schools were informed the World Cup trip was pending funding, while they are disappointed they are not going to be travelling to the World Cup, they are still enthusiastic about the whole Rainbow Nations project.

'The project has definitely raised awareness of other cultures and the football event in April was a massive reward in itself for the pupils.'

He said there was still hope that as part of the project, children from South Africa will be able to come to Norfolk for the 2012 Olympics in London.

Anyone who can help with sponsorship is asked to contact Amalia at Rainbow Nations on 07548513153 or amalia@rainbownations.co.uk