Our Patron
Sir Chris Bonington CVO, CBE, DL
“You are certainly doing a very worthwhile job and I'd be delighted and honored to be your patron.”
Sir Chris started climbing at the age of 16 in 1951. He is a world famous mountaineer, writer, photographer and lecturer. He made the first British ascent of the North Wall of the Eiger and led the expedition that made the first ascent of The South Face of Annapurna, the biggest and most difficult climb in the Himalaya at the time. He went on to lead the successful expedition making the first ascent of the South West Face of Everest in 1975 and then reached the summit of Everest himself in 1985 with a Norwegian expedition. He is still active in the mountains climbing with the same enthusiasm as he had at the beginning.
He has written 17 books, fronted numerous television programmes and has lectured to the public and corporate audiences all over the world. He received a knighthood in 1996 for services to mountaineering, was president of the Council for National Parks for 8 years, is Non Executive Chairman of Berghaus and Chancellor of Lancaster University.
In May 2012 hundreds of climbers greeted Sir Chris as he carried the Olympic flame up to the top of Mount Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales. This was where he began his climbing career 61 years earlier.
Our Ambassadors
Nirmala Bhandari
Nirmala joined the Hope Centre at the age of 9, and grew up to be a senior role-model to the children around her. Upon leaving the Hope Centre, Nirmala worked at a medical centre and initially daunted by the new world around her, began to flourish.
Through her contacts at the medical centre and networking, Nirmala then went on to enter the world of para-sport, competing in both wheelchair basketball and para-powerlifting and progressing from national championships to the Para-Asian Games.
Having become concerned about the common perception of disability and lack of inclusiveness in Nepal, as well as a lack of life skills imparted on young disabled Nepalis, Nirmala now dedicates her time to promoting disability awareness and independance for those in a similar position to herself growing up.
In 2024, Nirmala created her own foundation (the Nirmala Foundation). With the ethos: “Let No One Sit on the Sideline”, the Nirmala Foundation is dedicated to promoting inclusiveness and accessibillity through sport and travel and changing attitudes towards disability. In the same year she also became Miss Disability Queen 2024 and awarded the title of “Best Personality” at the Miss/Mrs. Disability Queen 2024 event hosted by Green Arts Media, Nepal.
New Futures Nepal are proud to welcome Nirmala as our Business Development Ambassador on a fixed-term basis to identify projects and collaborations in Nepal for our consideration and potential support.
Our Trustees
We are a UK registered charity run entirely by a passionate, volunteer Board of Trustees who dedicate their time to their shared goal: to empower disadvantaged children and adults of Nepal.
Andrew Small
Chairman
My privilege today, as one of the founding trustees, is to use my time, skills and energy to help run this charity. I went to Nepal for purely selfish reasons but came away wanting to help a small group of people at the Hope Centre who were really struggling through no fault of their own. Each of our projects has a different dimension and each is absolutely focused on helping the many disadvantaged people of Nepal. The charity has remained a steadfast anchor point in my life, providing not just a sense of purpose but also a community that feels like family. Being able to use my change management and finance skills in a way that truly changes people's lives for the better is deeply rewarding. My commitment to this mission has deepened, and my enthusiasm is stronger than two decades ago. Nepal's echoes continue to inspire me, reminding me that every trial can lead to growth, fulfilment, and lasting connections.
Andrew took over as Chairman of the charity in the summer of 2024.
Lynne McCutcheon
Company Secretary & Director
From my first visit to Nepal in 1989, I was captivated by the country and its people. Their resilience and generosity, despite the harshness of their circumstances and daily challenges, left me in awe. After two more life-affirming trips to Nepal my chance to give something back to the people of Nepal arose in 2001 when I met an inspirational trekking guide who was helping fund a home for orphaned children some of them with disabilities. He introduced me to a group of like-minded people and we teamed up to form the charity New Futures Nepal.
My background as a manager in the accountancy and legal professions provided me with the skills to help set up and manage this charity which today has grown into a community supported by friends, family and many loyal supporters. I love my work and after 20+ years my passion has only grown stronger. It has forever altered my perspective on life and continues to reaffirm my belief in human nature.
Lynne stepped down as charity Chairman in the summer of 2024 and entered the role of Company Secretary.
Lee Brown
Director of Communications and Fundraising
A long-time supporter of New Futures Nepal, Lee first became friends with its founding members in 2002 during the trek in Nepal that sparked the charity’s inception. He finally joined in a trustee capacity in 2017.
Lee has a great love of hiking and the mountains, and having significant experience in taking on challenge events and a close association with the charity challenge community, helps to expand New Futures Nepal's fundraising event portfolio and maintain relationships with the charity’s partners, collaborators, and account managers.
Lee also has expertise in IT, as well as online fundraising and publicity platforms. As such, he ensures the smooth running of the charity’s social media presence, website, and online fundraising platforms (such as eBay for Charity, PayPal Giving Fund, and Easyfundraising), and helps create the charity’s crowdfunding campaigns.
Charles Barton
Director
As a young man I travelled to escape and see new places; I am sure I saw and passed by people and places who needed help, but that was not part of my young agenda.
After college I joined the family hotel business which in some small ways helped local causes. 15 years later I ran the catering for the two small local hospitals for a short time. In doing so I became very aware of the importance of the meals, not from a business point of view, but in relation to the patients and the staff. For 22 years thereafter I worked in various departments of Royal Mail which included dipping into voluntary work but not in any serious way.
In between there has been 48 years of marriage and children.
Oscar Wilde said, ‘the smallest act of kindness is worth more than the grandest intention’. It was 8 years before my retirement and the chance meeting of a small group of children and their Nepali carers along with fellow trekkers during a visit to Nepal in 2002 showed me the almost impossible challenges that disabled, abandoned and orphaned children and adults had to overcome. I along with others took on that ‘small act of kindness’ through our charity. A decision and journey I could not have imagined with seeing such life changing results. One that I am very proud to be part off.
Paul Crook
Director
I first went to Nepal in 2002 as part of a charity trek for YHA’s Give Us a Break scheme. It was there I saw the beauty of Nepal, the warmth of its people, but I also saw real poverty for the first time in my life and wanted to give something back. It was through this trek that I met many people who were to form the nucleus of NFN, many of whom are still Trustees and long term supporters.
Pauls sings with the Frampton Shantymen and the Frampton Cotterell Male Voice Choir. He enjoys travelling in the UK and overseas, hill walking and cycling and has recently taken up swimming. In a previous life he worked for a private bank and now works as a business consultant with small businesses.
Helen Crook
Director
I first visited Nepal in 2002 and was struck by the country's beauty and the generosity of its people in the face of poverty. I wanted to give something back and relieve the hardship faced by many children and adults of Nepal. A founding member since 2002, I became a trustee in February 2006 and in addition to my general trustee role, co-ordinate the charity’s sponsor a child scheme.
As an experienced registered and paediatric nurse, with a specialist paediatric community qualification, I have a strong interest in child health and welfare and use this knowledge and skills to the benefit of the charity and the children and adults supported through our projects. I have returned to Nepal numerous times and have a good knowledge of the country and its culture. My passion for New Futures Nepal and its work in Nepal combined with my love of the outdoors has led me to take on many challenges to help fund projects (i.e. London Marathon, LEJOG cycle ride). I'm looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead in my work as a trustee for New Futures Nepal.
Alex Maher
Trustee
By a chance meeting in 2009, I was introduced to this wonderful charity by trustee Charles Barton. Ever since, I have been inspired. Although I have been involved with a number of charities in the past, New Futures Nepal has been very close to my heart. The difference we make to the children has been inspiring to me, bringing a sense of accomplishment.
I joined as a trustee in 2017, fundraising and helping where I can. It has been a pleasure to see children’s drawings and pictures, knowing we can have such a positive impact on their lives.