A TEENAGER is fundraising to pay for an eight-month trip to Honduras.
ALFIE FLEWITT is raising money to travel to Honduras, where he intends to spend eight months teaching English.
Alfie Flewitt, 17, of Aslockton, aims to travel to Central America in January, where he plans to teach English.
The Toot Hill pupil is looking to raise at least £5,000 for the trip, organised through Project Trust.
He has already raised more than £1,000 through a concert and by writing to charities.
He also encouraged younger pupils at Toot Hill to collect 20p coins in Smartie tubes to raise money for the project.
Alfie has appealed to members of Bingham Business Club for help and has planned bag packs at Morrison’s in Gamston and Asda at West Bridgford.
“I cannot wait to go. I’m so excited about it. I have been looking forward to it since I was 15 and first heard about it,” said Alfie.
“It has been a long time coming.”
Alfie will travel to Honduras as part of a gap year before university after completing his A-levels.
“I am looking to develop my life skills. It is important to get away and help people and have a good time at the same time,” he said.
“A lot of gap year charities don’t allow you to be part of the community as much as Project Trust.
“It is the best way of helping out. You don’t have to have very much training.”
He is balancing his studies with fundraising efforts but said his upcoming exams were his first priority because he was looking to go to university.
Alfie is hoping to return to Toot Hill to help out with teaching after his Honduras trip.
However, he is not looking to pursue a career in teaching and is planning to study economics at university.
Alfie applied for the project when he was 16 and last year spent five days on a selection course on the Isle of Coll, in the Inner Hebrides, Scotland.
The trip was arranged to challenge potential candidates to integrate into a tight-knit community. Only 220 people live on the island.
“There are fewer people living on the island than in my year at school,” said Alfie.
“One of the biggest challenges was adapting to their way of living.
“They look to take you out of your comfort zone to test you out and give you a taste of what it is like when you are abroad.
“It is a bit of a test when you are there and everyone is taking notes on you. Only 75% of the people on the trip are selected to go on the project.”
He is set to return to the island to take part in training for the course.
Donations can be made at www. justgiving.com/Alfie-Flewitt or by texting HOND67 £1 to 70070.
