Hi everyone, I'm Archie and am 14 years old. I’m raising funds for an expedition with my school Outwood Academy Carlton and Camps International, to volunteer in Cambodia in 2025 and will be working on various projects over a 4-week period.

The core objectives of this expedition are to;

(1) Help local people by raising the educational and living standards of developing communities within rural districts where poverty is extremely high

and

(2) Help local wildlife by assisting with ongoing conservation programs to preserve biodiversity and protect vulnerable habitats and also the environment.

This expedition is extremely important to me because I feel like I will be making a difference rather than just wishing I could. Not only that, I believe I will acquire and develop many important life skills such as empathy, communication and problem solving skills, leadership skills and also physical building skills which will all be helpful in later life.

I am mostly looking forward to meeting the locals and knowing that I have made a positive impact on their life. I also think it will be great to make new friends in terms of other students on this once in a lifetime opportunity.

I'm really not a fan of heights and insects which I am told I will encounter a lot of so this will be challenging for me but is a fear I hope to overcome!

As you can imagine, the cost of this expedition is huge! I have already made a start in raising my funds and have been lucky enough to have raised £600 so far! Along the way, I have had a few people ask if they are able to make a donation, which has lead me to set up this page in the hopes that I can increase my current total.

In the coming months I have various methods of further fundraising planned with the help of my parents such as a car boot sale, a sponsored activity and I'm even looking into a possible small business idea which I am excited about! My grandparents are also getting in on the action by preparing plant cuttings ready for me to be able to do a plant sale next year.

If you have gotten this far, thank you for taking the time to read my story and if you feel that you are able to donate, be it £1 or £100, it would be greatly appreciated and I will be super grateful!

Thank you in advance for your support,

Archie Butler