I am an Ambassador of the Pahar Trust Nepal, who are dedicated to improving standards of education, health and sanitation in hard-to-reach communities in Nepal. Over thirty years we have completed 326 education and health improvement projects, impacting the lives of 250,000 people.

On the 16 August, together with nine friends, we will be running the Berlin Wall Trail Run (Mauerweglauf), a 160km race following the route of the Berlin Wall. We are running as a ten-person relay team, and we will both be raising money for the important work the Pahar Trust does in Nepal, but also in memory of those who lost their lives at the border in the city between 1961 and 1989.

We’re raising money for the Shree Janasewa Basic School in Phulibang, about 2.5 hours from Pokhara in Nepal. A landslide in 2024 damaged the building, and the threat of future landslides means the school is no longer safe for use - and there is no alternative for the 17 children who live in the village.

The Pahar Trust needs £23,000 to fully fund the rebuild. Our team target is to raise at least £850 to furnish the brand new classrooms with low tables, bookshelves, display racks and new carpets, making the classroom a comfortable and child-friendly environment for learning. As we reach our targets, I will increase the goal and all extra money will go towards the overall funding for the school.

The challenges in Nepal are immense. For example, the earthquake in 2015 damaged or destroyed around 24,000 classrooms in the country, impacting more than a million children, and the rebuilding work is going on.

Many school buildings remain unsafe, and the challenges are increasing in a country that is heavily impacted by earthquakes and landslides, the effects of which are exacerbated by the worsening climate crisis. One of the main goals of the Pahar Trust Nepal is to provide safe, secure places for children to learn, and any donation you can give will help in this vital work.

And thanks so much to my nine pals who volunteered to join me in this escapade... Rebecca, Jessica, Sean, Ivi, Tom, Jared, John, Jim and Neil - heroes all!