Charles Barton
I am another Founder Trustee of New Futures Nepal. I also became involved following a charity trek to Nepal in February 2002. The charity trek was for 10 days and I felt this would not give me time to get to meet the people and sample their culture. I decided to spend another three weeks in Nepal. I learnt about Ram Thapa,  now Regional Director, and contacted him for advice and at the same time got to know about the children and their carers.

I took a case of items for the home, the least I could do in exchange for his help on my solo travels in Nepal. Having (in a small way) been involved in voluntary work in the UK, I could not help comparing and being moved at the lack of support and basic needs that the Hope Centre survived on in giving the children a home. Seeing it through the media and being part of it bears no comparison.

My life has moved from Hotelier to Postman via; marrying Anne my wife (who is also involved in the charity), being blessed with a daughter and son, becoming a mature University student, management, various voluntary work and becoming a Granddad. My passions are good food (a left over from my restaurant days), live music (particularly jazz), theatre, Rugby Union. My dream would be to travel very much like I did in Nepal or to work as a volunteer to experience, taste absorb people and their cultures around the world. (Before the world becomes all the