Horncastle pupils aiming to reach the peak in charity push

Ashleigh Burton-Melling and Hermione Daulat, who both go to Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, will be putting on their hiking shoes in a bid to conquer 3,209 foot-high Scafell Pike in the Lake District on July 26.

Money raised from the climb will help towards raising the £3,000 they each need to fund the Nepal visit, which is organised by Global Action.

In Nepal they will be working alongside villagers on a programme to help build a new classroom or health clinic and assist in installing piped drinking water.

Ashleigh (15) said: “We had a talk at school about the trip in assembly and about 20 of us have signed up to do it.

“I thought it would be a good experience. I’ve never even been abroad before so I’m a bit nervous. I’m going to have to get a passport.”

Her mum Sadie said: “This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for them.”

Ashleigh added: “The Nepal trip will include a five day mountain trek and we’ll be supporting the people there who were affected by the earthquake.

“There are a lot of things that were destroyed and I thought that if we can help we will try to.

“I will be doing lots of things to raise money and will be walking with my parents to prepare for the Scafell Pike climb.

“I’ve got fundraising forms I’m giving out and mum’s promoting it on her Facebook page.”

The girls held a cake sale and raffle at the weekend at Ashleigh’s mum’s shop One Stop in the Bull Ring to kickstart fundraising.

Prizes up for grabs included a family day pass to Lincolnshire Wildlife Park.

The earthquake in Nepal on April 25 last year killed more than 8,000 and injured over 21,000. It was the worst earthquake to strike Nepal since the 1934 Nepal-Bihar earthquake. The earthquake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest and another in the Langtang Valley.

Centuries old buildings were destroyed at UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley and hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless when entire villages were flattened.

The country is slowly rebuilding, with many people still homeless.