My name is Ben Wiltshire, I am 16 years old and I live in Cardiff, Wales. In the summer of 2019 I will be travelling to Costa Rica and possibly Nicaragua as part of a school trip with Camps International to work for a month supporting local communities.

In Costa Rica the projects are centred around conservation and environmental issues, and in Nicaragua we will be focusing on social projects. Nicaragua is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, work here is focused on social projects such as housing, healthcare and sanitation. Unfortunately because of the current unrest in Nicaragua the Government have advised against travelling here so we have to wait for a decision.

Costa Rica is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world so the work I will do as a volunteer can really make a difference to the environment. Work includes reforestation, wildlife conservation and beach clean ups - removing plastic from the marine environment.

The money I raise will allow me to take part in projects which impact directly on the local communities and allow infrastructure development for the future of these communities. This is an amazing opportunity for me to step outside my comfort zone and truly try to make a difference to people's lives and the environment, and I would be immensely grateful for any donation you are able to make towards this.

In order to participate in this amazing trip I have to raise just over £4000. I intend to do this through work, fundraising activities and by undertaking a number of challenges. My first challenge is a major one for me. As a Cardiff paperboy my challenge will be to deliver a paper from my employer McColl’s Whitchurch Cardiff to my grandmother who lives in Wiltshire. I am going to pick up the paper in the morning after my round and cycle to England! The trip will be 70 miles plus but I am hoping that getting up 6 days a week and delivering papers in all weathers will help me with my challenge. I intend to do this on Wednesday 1 August 2018.

My second challenge is to take part in a 10K Movember charity run in Cardiff on 10 November. I will split the money raised for this particular challenge between fundraising for the Movember Foundation and for the Costa Rica trip.

The Movember Foundation are a leading charity changing the face of men’s health, addressing some of the biggest health issues faced by men: prostate cancer, testicular cancer, and mental health and suicide prevention.

I have 12 months to raise funds for this cause and would welcome any donations you are able to give.

Thank you for your support

A bit about Camps International - They aim to provide ethical journeys without compromise.

"Our ethical and commercial objectives go hand in hand – we’re fully committed to the projects we start and the communities we work with. We understand change doesn’t happen overnight; it’s achieved through long-term collaboration and real social enterprise. At Camps International, we’ve established our own charity, The Camps Foundation, to provide additional support to our ongoing initiatives, meaning we’re able to fulfil our commitments and implement real change. Our business model is designed to have maximum, long term impact in partnership with the communities we are based within. As a social enterprise our strategies are to maximize improvements in human and environmental wellbeing".