A 16-year-old A-level student from Bradley Stoke is sketching out plans to trek across the Andes Mountains and carry out conservation work in Peru.
Ross Startin, who is studying four AS-levels at Bradley Stoke Community School’s Post-16 Centre, is aiming to spend four weeks in Peru, as part of a World Challenge expedition in July/August 2013, for which he hopes to raise £4,000 worth of sponsorship from businesses in Bristol and south Gloucestershire.
During the expedition, Ross and a team of 15 students will go on short hikes to acclimatise themselves to the local food, climate and culture, followed by a four- to eight-day trek across the Andes Mountains, reaching altitudes of up to 5,000m; and visit villages and pre-Inca sites.
They will then get involved in community work (e.g. building shelters) or conservation work and finally, relax by exploring the area’s forests, mountains, jungles and coastlines during the fourth week.
Ross says:
“I am very excited by the prospect of taking part in the expedition, which will be a major challenge, but the most immediate challenge is how to raise £3,995 for the trip, so I am hoping that businesses and architectural companies in Bristol and south Gloucestershire will appreciate my enthusiasm and be interested in sponsoring my involvement.”
“These types of experiences stay with you for the rest of your life, and I am sure that the expedition will help me increase my self-confidence and improve my problem-solving skills. Most importantly, though, is my intention to make a difference to the lives of some of the people that we meet.”
The Peru expedition is organised by World Challenge, which provides educational expeditions in the developing world. The organisation’s student travel itineraries aim to teach life skills, foster team spirit and leadership skills that help expand young people’s minds outside the classroom.
After completing his A-levels, Ross plans to study architecture at Bath or Cardiff University. One of his current college projects includes designing a museum/viewing centre for the Concorde G-BOAF, near Bradley Stoke.
Anyone interested in sponsoring Ross can get in touch with him via The Journal’s newsdesk.
In 2011, a group of 13 Bradley Stoke Community School (BSCS) students visited Southern India on a World Challenge expedition. See how they got on here:
