Physics students travelled to Switzerland to visit a nuclear research facility thanks to funding support from a charity which aims to help young people fulfil their potential.

A group of 52 A-level physics students from Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form, in Norwich, were able to undertake the three-day visit to CERN in Geneva, Switzerland thanks to the Diss-based Mason Trust.

CERN is the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, where physicists and engineers probe the fundamental structure of the universe.

Its use of complex scientific instruments, including the Large Hadron Collider, studies the basic constituents of matter to provide clues about particle interaction and insights into the fundamental laws of nature.

The students spent a full day at CERN looking around the facility and visiting its various exhibitions before taking the cable car to the summit of Mount Saleve, where they enjoyed a traditional cheese fondue meal.

The visit also included a day in the city of Berne, visiting the home of Albert Einstein.

Shaun Watling, from Sir Isaac Newton Sixth Form, said: 'We are very grateful to The Mason Trust for its support of our students for this trip.

'Without this funding, there were numerous students who would not have been able to make the visit.

'The A-level physics course includes a large amount of particle physics study. What better way to learn about particle physics than to visit CERN.'

The Mason Trust – founded in 2008 by businesswoman Yvonne Mason, who has over 25 years' experience in the marine industry – has the express aim of helping young people between the ages of 12 and 25 living in Norfolk and Suffolk, to reach their full potential.

The trust works with schools and places of further education to forge stronger links between education and industry, to give students the widest choice when deciding on a career.

If anyone has an ambition or idea for which they require some assistance with funding, The Mason Trust may be able to help.

Visit www.themasontrust.org for further information.

Are you doing something for charity in South Norfolk? Email andrew.papworth@archant.co.uk