ELEVEN firefighter apprentices will be heading to Nepal on Saturday following two years of fundraising to given children in a remote village access to an education.

The group has raised £30,000 to enable them to fund the building of a facility to education younger children.

Working with the charity Classrooms in the Clouds, each apprentice was set a personal target of raising £2,700.

This formed part of their development programme as firefighter and community safety apprentices with Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Liam Burgess, 21, from Stockton Heath, said: “I am really excited for the journey to Nepal and the experience is has to offer to me.

"I feel it will help develop me as a person and will be a great sense of achievement and pride for the efforts I have put in to reach my personal fundraising target.”

The build will be to an earthquake resistant standard and will provide gender specific toilets as well as specialist early years learning resources.

This facility will provide strong foundations for learning, enabling the youngest children in the village access to an education.

Sean Hooper, 19, from Warrington, said: “From a young age I have loved helping people of all ages and any background, for me being able to help someone whether that being getting a tin of beans down from a shelf for someone that can’t reach, to saving their life makes my day.

“That is why I am so looking forward to going out to Nepal to build this fantastic school with the wonderful Classrooms in the Clouds, it truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

"Joining the fire service has been the best decision I have ever made, not only have I made lifelong friends but I have been able to challenge myself both mentally and physically.”

Sam Rogers, apprentice coordinator for CFRS will be accompanying the team, he said: “The apprentices have worked really hard raising this money and have been involved in some great fundraising activities, some of which have taken them out of their comfort zone, such as skydiving and some which have been completed through pure determination like the Everest ladder climb.”

All money raised by the team has gone towards the building of the much-needed Early Years Centre in Kharikhola, a remote Nepalese village near Lukla.

Racheal Main, 20, from Warrington, added: “I am really looking forward to go to Nepal as it will be a new and exciting adventure for me, as I have never done anything like this before.”

The party will sleep in tea houses and experience rural life in Nepal and will be accompanied by three members of CFRS staff.

Once reaching the village they will need to finish off the rooms ready for students to use and hand the project over to the village at a celebration ceremony.