St. James’s Place Team Completes Himalayan Trek and Builds Nepal School

AFTER months of preparation and fundraising, Partners and employees of St. James’s Place (SJP) flew to Nepal earlier this month to take on a challenging expedition consisting of a trek in the high Himalayas, followed by a demanding community build project.

Commencing on 10 October, a team of nineteen committed individuals spent 17 days in Nepal: trekking and building an exceptional vocational school for the region. To date, over £210,000 has been raised for the charity ‘Supporting Nepal’s Children’ and the St. James’s Place Charitable Foundation.

Starting out in Ulleri, in the Annapurna range, the team began the first part of the long journey to the legendary Poon Hill. With altitudes reaching 3210m, and temperatures down to

-5c this trek demanded exceptional stamina, tenacity and commitment. After five days of trekking, the team made their way to Dhangadhi to commence the second part of their challenge – the building of a vocational school in western Nepal.

The team of 2024 were onsite for five days to help with the build (the third of its kind), which will see young students learn trades such as plumbing, carpentry, tailoring and welding, so they are able to build a career, remain with their families in the region and contribute to the local economy.

Following a successful Everest Base Camp trek in 2012, ‘Supporting Nepal’s Children’ was founded by members of the St. James’s Place community – Hazel Grace, Nadine Phillips and Roger Owen (who later went on to summit Mount Everest) who were inspired to give back to the Nepali community following the devastation caused by earthquakes and other natural disasters in the preceding years. To date, the charity has raised over £1.6million.

Initially, the charity worked in partnership with the SJP Charitable Foundation to support a Nepali school in Pangboche, with book donations and a grant. Today, the charity has grown to be one of the most significant in the region, alongside the Nepal Youth Foundation – a Nepali NGO. Its mission was to enable all Nepali children to benefit from an education and remain part of the local community.

For those on this expedition, this was a life-changing challenge, for a life-changing charity.

Gareth Thomas, from Hawkins Thomas Wealth, said:

“Taking part in this build and trek expedition with the charity Supporting Nepal’s Children has been truly life-impacting for me. Helping to build a vocational school, that as a group we helped raise funds for, was far more rewarding than I could have ever imagined. It is an incredible feeling to know that we are helping the young people of Nepal to develop skills for life. Following this with exploring and trekking in the Himalayas made an already incredible experience one that will stay with me forever.”

For Max Patel, from Shenley Private it was about leaving a lasting legacy. He said:

“The beauty of Nepal goes beyond the magic in the mountains — it’s in the people and the potential we’re helping to unlock. Seeing the vocational school that the team built two years ago in action reminded me that every brick we lay today can shape brighter tomorrows.”

Further information on Supporting Nepal’s Children and the SJP Charitable Foundation can be found here: supportingnepalschildren.org.uk/SJP Foundation.