Twenty five school children from the Heathrow area and BAA staff departed for India on 17 July to rebuild a Himalayan primary school in the remote Spiti Valley. The trip, organised by the personal development charity Fulcrum Challenge, is being sponsored by the BAA Communities Trust – the third year in which the charity has received such sponsorship.

The young people aged between 16 and 18 will be at the site in Himachal Pradesh state for two weeks, in which time they will work together on the primary school, and also work towards an ASDAN personal development qualification, equivalent to AS Level.

Ciran Kunner, from the Heathland School in Hounslow, is one of the students taking part in the challenge. “I’m happy I got this opportunity and I’m looking forward to working in a team”, she said, on departure from Heathrow. Meanwhile, Eleanor Soames of the Bishop Ramsey School in Ruislip, said “I’m looking forward to the weather and experiencing the different culture. I joined this programme through school. I want to be more independent, my target is to make friends and learn new skills, as well as getting UCAS points for university.”

Fulcrum Challenge Ltd is a British registered charity that aims to help students exceed their personal objectives, build life enhancing competencies to take forward into their future and facilitate their understanding of ethical and social responsibility.

Fulcrum’s Peter Cable, accompanying the students on the trip explained; “This is a brilliant opportunity, it’s all about personal development, and the students will be working as a team. I wish I had the opportunity when I was their age to get involved in this magnificent challenge. It gives me a huge buzz travelling certainly knowing the students will benefit from the journey”.

During the visit the students will also trek to Chandratal, also known as ‘Moon Lake’ set on a large meadow between two mountain ranges. The region experiences heavy snowfall and is usually cut off from the north for eight months of the year.

BAA’s Head of Community Relations, Sarah Porretta, said “We have been involved with Fulcrum for several years now, and believe it is a great way to expand the aspirations of local young people in the community near Heathrow.”

The group will return on 1 August 2008.

Notes to editors

• The BAA Communities Trust was established 10 years ago. Since then it has contributed grants of over £4 million for projects in the communities local to the company’s seven UK airports, to support chartable initiatives by staff ton global projects linked to youth development
• BAA Heathrow supports a wide variety of local charities, donating over £1.5 million to local good causes during 2006/7. Nearly 200 staff volunteered over 3,000 hours of company time in that period
• For further information, please contact Stuart Butchers in the BAA Heathrow press office on 020 8745 7224.