Barnoldswick woman working two jobs to finance a Master's degree fundraising for three-month charity stint in Nepal

Charlotte Frost is very busy.
Charlotte Frost, who is set to travel to Nepal for three months later this year.Charlotte Frost, who is set to travel to Nepal for three months later this year.
Charlotte Frost, who is set to travel to Nepal for three months later this year.

When she's not working full-time at Shared Services Connected Ltd, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Justice, she's putting in weekend shifts at Ashfield House, a local B&B, to fund a Master's degree in Law, Technology, and Innovation at the University of Edinburgh.

Already vegan three days a week, the 23-year-old is also halfway through a waste-free month, cutting all material rubbish from her life, and is soon to embark on an entire week living on just a pound a day. "The waste-free month has been very eye opening," she says. "When it comes to the pound-a-day week, I'll be living off rice and flour basically."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

On a two-month trip across South Africa over Christmas, she was so annoyed at how little she could do to help those in need that she signed up for a three-month charity stint in Nepal, where she will working on crucial initiatives to provide water and commerce for communities in one of the poorest countries in the world.

Charlotte was inspired to do more on a recent trip to South Africa.Charlotte was inspired to do more on a recent trip to South Africa.
Charlotte was inspired to do more on a recent trip to South Africa.

"I was in Durban, and I was so frustrated at how little I could do to help while I was there, so when I saw the chance to go to a whole new continent and help a small country and small economy, I jumped at it," says Charlotte, a former West Craven High School student who went on to study Law at the University of York.

With the kind of enthusiasm and dedication that is not only infectious but downright unstoppable, Charlotte - who lives in Barnoldswick - has always felt a keen desire to make a difference. In her sights now is the June trip to Nepal with Raleigh International, a worldwide charity which works towards sustainable communities, and she's got a new task: fundraising.

Requiring £800 alone to finance her charitable endeavours in Asia, Charlotte has to hit the halfway point in her fundraising efforts by April 29th. Having raised £150 so far, she has myriad fundraising event planned - an Easter Egg hunt on April 20th at 12pm at Valley Gardens (tickets are £5) and a charity bag-pack on May 18th and bake sale on June 2nd at Tesco.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"I'll be heading out there to get involved with either an entrepreneur project or wash project," said Charlotte of her upcoming charity work in Nepal, a country in which 23.8% of people live below the poverty line, where just 6% of women are in formal employment, and where frequent natural disasters make the Himalayan nation the fourth-most climate-vulnerable country in the world.

"A wash project involves basically building pipes and getting water to communities, because at the moment many people don't really have access to water," explained Charlotte. "We'll also be working with them to promote better hygiene as well. An entrepreneur project involves looking closely at what resources the community needs, like shops, and helping them establish them.

"I'm anticipating it being really different, but also getting the chance to go on a few expeditions," she added. "I want to do everything I can and really integrate myself with the local communities; in South Africa I felt really outside of it all and I wanted a chance to do more."

"I can't wait to get stuck in and help."

The Master's degree can wait.

To donate to Charlotte's cause, head to her JustGiving page at http://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Charlotte-Frost8

Related topics: