Snow-Camp is a youth charity that uses a unique combination of skiing, snowboarding and life-skills programmes to support inner-city young people. 

It sounds like a holiday but it's not.  Snow Camp turns often troubled young people's lives around and gives them skills and apprenticeships that get them out of gangs and into jobs.  The charity is an award winning apprenticeship sponsor.  It works.  Taking "NEETs" - i.e. kids not in education, employment or training -away from post-code gangs and into a neutral environment with a "cool fun activity" as the focus and reward,these young people who often have never achieved academically  do achieve and develop personally through the life-skills programme.  Snow Camp is excellent at getting placements in real apprenticeships and then into jobs.  Look at the videos on the website: 

http://www.snow-camp.org.uk/media/video

These young people end up in the Snowsports industry passionately advocating skiing. Many on graduation get the UK Level 1 Snow Sports for England instructor qualification.  

I am just a massive fan of the charity - it's doing good work close to home without the bloat and bureaucracy that the Daily Mail rails against.  Dan Charlish, the CEO and now a freeman of the City of London is just my hero.  

Since being established in London in 2003, Snow Camp's programmes have supported over 2,500 young people across 16 London Boroughs. Our vision is to expand Snow-Camp to other cities across the UK and bring the success of our approach to benefit many more inner-city young people. We are pleased to also celebrate our tenth year as an organisation by launching a snowsports focused youth apprenticeship.

The participants have all paid their own expenses in taking part.  All your money will go to the charity.  Here's what we're up to:

http://www.snow-camp.org.uk/events/alpinechallenge

Thanks for giving.