Partners and employees of St. James’s Place scaled new heights this month, as they took on one of the worlds hardest and most demanding of treks – the Everest Basecamp Trek in Nepal.
Dizzying altitude, extreme and cold weather conditions, demanding terrain, and mental and physical stress are just some of the challenges endured by 21 exceptional individuals, as they fought their way to complete a staggering 17,500ft sponsored trek of the world’s tallest mountain.
The trek which took place over the course of 14 days, saw a team of courageous individuals navigate bridges hundreds of feet above torrents of fast flowing rivers, icy trails and Gorak Shep, where conditions were so cold the inside of windows and water bottles froze solidly overnight. Reminders of the ever-present danger were everywhere, from glacial creaking to sudden falling rocks.
Trekking amongst the breath-taking scenery at over 5300 metres, the team encountered many a new sight from the flow of yaks and ponies carrying goods up the mountain, to the porters hauling tables, chairs and bags weighing 50+kgs – all secured by a flimsy piece of twine strapped over their heads. But whilst the spectacular views and demands for physical fortitude were never out of sight, the overriding thought on everyone’s mind was the charity they were there to support – ‘Supporting Nepal’s Children’.
A year after the first ever successful Everest Basecamp trek in 2012, which raised over £700k, members of the St. James’s Place Community, Hazel Grace, Nadine Phillips along with Roger Owen (who later went on to summit Mount Everest), founded the charity ‘Supporting Nepal’s Children’.
What started out as an ambition and wish to support the Pangboche School initially, with book donations and a grant via the St. James’s Place Charitable Foundation, has led to the charity becoming one of the most significant in the region. Run by a small group of volunteers, the charity’s mission is to enable all Nepali children to benefit from an education and remain part of the local community. The team quickly realised the stark reality; that many children do not go to school, and education standards vary widely with some operating classes of 50 children to one teacher.
Today, the work of the charity can be witnessed just by walking down the street. Local families stop the charity volunteers to thank them for helping their children and families. Bolstered too by the unwavering support of the St. James’s Place Charitable Foundation and St. James’s Place community; the charity has been able to fund two further vocational centres. These centres offer a chance for the young people of Nepal to improve their future prospects, learning traditional trades that enable them to remain in the community they love.
The latest trek helped to raise an astounding £220,000 for Supporting Nepal’s Children and the work of the St. James’s Place Charitable Foundation in the UK, particularly amongst disadvantaged young people, where there is a growing need for support.
For those on the trek, it was a life changing challenge, for a life changing charity.
Scott Andrews, from Williamson Wealth Management commented “The whole experience was mind blowing – from the people to the environment and of course being surrounded by the world’s tallest mountains. The biggest impact on me personally is from the people of Nepal. They are the most generous people I’ve met, that could never do enough to help us. For a country and people, that in comparison to the UK, could be perceived to having so much less than others, they are the friendliest and most generous I’ve met.”
For Tobias Colton, from Tobias Colton Wealth Management it was witnessing the impact of the charity within the community that stood out for him, “A few of my favourite memories were of the children we gave presents to on the trail and the look of awe on their faces as they watched bubbles float into the sky, or seeing the bounce of a ball immediately causing them to belly laugh like they were laughing for the first time. However, that was probably topped by the day we arrived in Namche when I was with Hazel, one of the Trustees from Supporting Nepal’s Children, and was a stark reminder of why we were there. As we walked through the town, numerous people approached Hazel literally stopping her in the street to thank her with such sincere gratitude and warmth as SNC had supported them and their families, sometimes putting their children through school – a truly moving scene.”
St. James’s Place employee, Jan Jago is a returning trekker to Nepal. Jago commented: “This country, its people and the difference we can make is an infectious driver to return year on year!”
