A university student will live on £1 worth of food and drink a day for five days to raise awareness for those who live in poverty around the globe.

History and politics student Gillian Whitworth, 22, whose family home is in Harpenden, is taking on a challenge called Five Pounds for Poverty with 16 others to raise money for Child.org.

Other members of the team are Ellen Yorath from Redbourne and Bridget and Charlotte Russell, who currently live near Hertford but lived in the area for around nine to 10 years.

Five of the people taking park, including Miss Whitworth, study at the University of Warwick.

Miss Whitworth said: “I was selected last December by Child.org to participate in their charity apprentice course, a course which provides individuals with the necessary skills and experience to pursue their passions in the charity sector.

“As part of the course, we’re tasked to devise and successfully run a fundraising challenge and out our theoretical knowledge into practice.

“It feels great to take what I’ve learned to help support Child.org and the fantastic work it does to reduce barriers for children in Africa.”

Miss Whitworth was inspired to choose to do the Five Pounds for Poverty challenge by her year abroad in Melbourne, Australia.

She said: “Many of the Australian friends did this challenge to raise money to support anti-poverty charity Oaktree.

“It seemed like such a simple but powerful way to challenge our privilege, acknowledging how lucky we are to have such a rich diversity of food in our communities.

“Often the cost of a meal is taken for granted and we don’t think about the global impact of our consumption patterns.

“The £1 represents the global extreme poverty line that so many struggle under daily.

“I’m hoping the awareness spread by the challenge, especially the difficulty of surviving on £1’s worth of food and drink per day, will highlight the desperate need to address poverty both in the UK and abroad.”

As a student, Miss Whitworth is used to living on a limited budget, but not as startling as a £1 a day one.

In preparation she has been researching and trialling recipes she might eat during the week.

In order to make sure she eats an adequate amount of calories, carbohydrates and fats will be key staples.

Miss Whitworth added: “My situation is slightly unique to the rest of the group as, due to health concerns, I’ve already had to cut out several food groups from my diet.

“Mostly the challenge will be mental preparation, as the lack of food will result in deficient energy supplies, tiredness and lethargy.

“I’ve been stunned by everyone’s preparation already and I’m sure they will continue to inspire me as the challenge goes on.”

So far the team has raised £1,200.

If you would like to support their cause and donate, visit Miss Whitworth’s personal page, http://child.org/me/gillian-lives-below-line, or the team page, http://child.org/me/team/live-below-line-childorg.