Stonehouse man trekking through Himalayas for charity

Mar 27 2008

STONEHOUSE Development officer Jeff Frew is helping communities in Nepal by taking charity treks into the Himalayas.

Jeff (51), from Lesmahagow, has always loved the great outdoors and climbing mountains in Scotland.

Since meeting trekking holiday organiser Doug Scott, the first Briton to climb Everest in 1975, Jeff wanted to be involved in that dramatically scenic part of the world.

He has since taken up the role of trustee for Community Action for Nepal (CAN) working alongside Sir Chris Bonnington, the patron of the charity which aims to improve lives for mountain people by creating and funding sustainable projects.

Jeff has held this position for the last 10 years.

They have since formed a trading company called Community Action Treks, (CAT) who are employed by charities to guide people on trips through the Himalayan mountain range.

Jeff has just returned from a two-week trip there with a group fundraising for the British Heart Foundation.

They raised £100,000 and a small percentage of that will be redirected into helping the mountain communities in Nepal.

Jeff said: “CAT is a business so we do take a share of the money that is raised for charity and we use it to create sustainable projects for the people of Nepal.

“We can help to provide water pumps in the area which goes a long way in helping these people to fight infections.

“We also help to train up local people to become nurses, a skill which they are then able to use throughout their life.

“I am very proud and privileged to be a part of this work. I have been going out to Nepal for the last 10 years, usually two- or three-times-a-year, so it seems like a second home. The people I have met there have become a part of my extended family and I have made many longstanding friendships.”

Jeff added that although he loves working with the charity and doing the mountaineering, a job he does without financial gain, he admits it is tough to spend so much time away from his wife of 15 years, Jenny Flowerdew and daughters Rebecca (18) and Ailsa (13).

“The toughest thing about these trip is the remoteness and the high altitude. It can sometimes take between eight and nine days of trekking to reach a destination, because it is just so vast.

“The conditions can be really tough and the weather can sometimes cause accidents and that is horrible to deal with.

“But the negatives of any experience are always outweighed and I know that what we are trying to achieve here is to improve the lives of the people in Nepal.

“If you can provide people with the proper tools and resources to do a job, they will be able to and often to a better standard than you could yourself.”

For further information about the charities visit www.canepal.org.uk or www.catreks.com.