FOUR young men who went to Chulmleigh College have raised more than £5,500 for a school in Nepal by cycling 518 miles around the coast of Wales. 

Brothers Léon and Freddie Davies, who are 26 and 19 respectively and from Chulmleigh, and Jake Rice and Silas Welsh, both 26 years old and from Morchard Road, cycled from Prestatyn in North Wales following the sea all the way south to Cardiff. 

Starting on Saturday, June 22, they finished just 10 days later on Monday, July 1, camping along the way.

Silas and Léon went to the Earthly Paradise English Boarding School in Besisahar, Nepal in 2017 during their gap years and have been raising money for the school since. 

“We were connected to the school through Exeter College who partnered with them to build a library,” Léon said. 

“In 2017 we visited the school and saw first-hand the effort and quality of the school.  

“We were simply blown away by their hospitality and their ability to get some much done and give some much with so little.  

“We initially raised some £600 for scholarships and in 2021 we raised a further £1,500 which helped the school build a water fountain that serves both the school and the local community – in addition to scholarships. 

“The public schooling infrastructure in Nepal is not robust and less than 50 per cent of students are able to attain the Nepali equivalent of GCSEs.  

“Places at the school are very sought-after and families are often stretched to the limit in order for their children to get a basic education. 

“A scholarship to Earthly Paradise is a potentially life-changing opportunity and we want to provide this to as many deserving children as possible.” 

Léon described the landscapes the four saw on the cycle ride through Wales as “some of the most stunning” in the UK, and the hospitality of the Welsh as “wonderful”. 

“None of this would have been possible without all the people who helped us along the journey,” he added. 

“Thanks to Access Communication Services for sponsoring us and providing a huge amount of support over the 10 days. 

“The biggest thanks of all to Claire-Louise Rice and Andrew Rice, without whom the trip would’ve been a whole lot more difficult. You kept us fed and watered and gave us an invaluable sense of security knowing you were nearby in case anything went wrong.”

The four have raised £5,575 at the time of writing. If you would like to donate to their fundraiser before it closes on July 31, visit: justgiving.com/crowdfunding/nepal-scholarships.