Mineseeker Foundation founder Mike Kendrick with Sophie Dober, 12, and Charlie Kendrick, 13.

Two Shropshire schoolgirls who set out to raise awareness for an anti-landmine charity have inspired an international businessman to donate £600,000 to the cause.

And now, thanks to the work of The Mineseeker Foundation’s youth ambassadors, Charlie Kendrick, 13, and Sophie Dober, 12, who both attend Bridgnorth Endowed School, the charity will receive the donation from Dr Majid Alsadi from Jordan.

Dr Alsadi was so impressed with Charlie and Sophie’s commitment to the foundation, it prompted him to make the donation.

The girls originally decided to make The Mineseeker Foundation the subject of an English project.

And now, after becoming youth ambassadors, the girls are keen to publicise the work of Mineseeker, which was founded by Charlie’s grandfather Mike Kendrick, to other youngsters across the globe and plan to write a regular newsletter for publication on the Mineseeker website.

New Mineseeker patron Dr Alsadi is chairman of Eastern Investment Group Holding, a British registered company that is based in Amman, Jordan, and operates in the Middle East, with offices in London, Washington, Dubai and Baghdad.

“Dr Alsadi is firmly committed to The Mineseeker Foundation and has made an ongoing commitment to support it – but the efforts of Charlie and Sophie made a real impact on him and prompted this initial, major cash injection,” said Mr Kendrick, from Bridgnorth.

“The girls have impressed everyone involved with Mineseeker by their dedication to this project, and their mature approach to a very sensitive subject – they really want to make a difference and their work will undoubtedly spread our key messages far and wide and ultimately help both to prevent landmine accidents and support landmine amputees.”

Other patrons of The Mineseeker Foundation include founder patron Nelson Mandela, Queen Noor of Jordan, Sir Richard Branson, Dame Graça Machel, Lord Attenborough, Brad Pitt and John Paul DeJoria.

The Mineseeker Foundation is dedicated to the detection, identification and removal of landmines.

There are more than 100 million landmines buried around the world.

By Sophie Bignall