Following two years of fundraising, 11 apprentices will be going to a remote village in Nepal on Saturday, March 10 for 16 days.

Working with the charity Classrooms in the Clouds each apprentice was set a personal target of raising £2,700. This formed part of their development programme as firefighter and community safety apprentices with Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.

Before arriving at the village, they will be completing a two-and-a-half-day trek accompanied by Dawa Geljen Sherpa, a trustee of Classroom in the Clouds, and his team of Sherpas

Collectively they have raised £30,000 and all of the money is going towards building an Early Years Centre in Kharikhola, a village near Lukla.

The building will be to an earthquake-resistant standard and the facility will provide strong foundations for learning for the youngest children.

Sam Rogers, apprentice coordinator for CFRS will be accompanying the team. He said: “The apprentices have worked really hard raising this money and have been involved in some great fundraising activities.

“Some of these have taken them out of their comfort zone, such as skydiving and some which have been completed through pure determination like the Everest ladder climb.

“Thanks to their hard work and support the facility that’s been built with the money will make a huge difference to the whole community of Kharikhola.

“We are all now looking forward to seeing the building and meeting the children and elders of the village.”

Marc Titley, 23, an apprentice living in Crewe, said: “I love being an apprentice with CFRSas it is varied, interesting and it’s a role where I get to help people and make a difference.

“In my spare time I enjoy walking, swimming, running and doing DIY so I have the skills required to help finish off the building and I’m looking forward to it.”

Alex Flude, 21, an apprentice also living in Crewe, said: “The thing I am most looking forward to is being outdoors and travelling to a different country.

“It will be great to do the trek and see new scenery and a different culture, including how the village people live day to day. I am also looking forward to tasting the food because I have never had Nepalese food before.”