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201710 news ben and jason

NEWS

School Updates, Marathon Fundraising, and New Website

December 2017

Welcome to the last newsletter of 2017. It’s been an important year for the charity that has seen the opening of our new volunteer accommodation and the continued progress of the school and students.

School remains open

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We are pleased to let you know that the school has remained open despite the volatile situation in the wider Darjeeling region. There are currently a total of 59 pupils attending classes and receiving school meals, providing an important source of nutrition during the difficult period. The regional strikes are over for the time being and we continue to monitor the situation by keeping in touch with our contacts on the ground. The students and teachers remain in good spirits and we are looking forward to the year ahead.

Ben Pattie to run London Marathon for Hannah Memorial Academy

201710 news ben and jason

We are delighted to report that Hannah Memorial Trustee, Ben Pattie, has chosen to run the 2018 London Marathon on behalf of the charity. Participating in his first full marathon, Ben has started his training programme in preparation for the 26-mile run. After visiting the school in 2015 with his family, Ben was inspired to continue to support the charity and has since become an active Trustee. He is hoping to raise a significant amount of money for the charity and would be grateful for any donations from our supporters. To read about Ben’s story and offer your support, please visit his fundraising page here.

Hannah Memorial Academy launches new website

This month we have launched a new-look website for the charity. Hopefully you will agree that the new site is an upgrade on the previous version and easier to navigate. You can check out the new site here and please do let us know if you have any feedback. We would like to thank HMA trustee, John Higham, for his hard work in getting the new site up and running – no mean feat.

Our message this Christmas

On behalf of all the Hannah Memorial Trustees, we would like to thank you all for your continued support this year. As we get together at this time of year with our friends and family it is important to remember those that are less fortunate than us. In the spirit of the holiday season of giving, we would especially appreciate your generosity towards the Hannah Memorial Academy. To find out more about making a donation, please visit our site here. We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

If you want to find our more information about the school or local area, please email us here for all the help and information you need!

The Trustees of the Hannah Memorial Academy are: Christine Browning, Roger MacLaverty, John Higham, Margaret Mattingly, Ben Pattie, Ram Varma, Helen Wilde. We hope you are happy to receive occasional news about the progress of the school, but if you would prefer not to receive our newsletters, please email us here to unsubscribe.

Support us now

Hannah’s school has united people of every age, from two continents, who want to help create a memorial for Hannah and benefit a whole community in one of the poorest areas of India – please join us in supporting Hannah’s school.

Donate

Jason’s story

How the school was started

The Hannah Memorial Academy is the vision of Jason Lepcha who was inspired to build a school in memory of Hannah Foster.
The school, in the Dhooteriah Tea Garden, is a lasting legacy to Hannah Foster, a 17-year old Hampshire girl who was murdered in the West End District of Southampton in March 2003 by Maninder Pal Singh Kohli.

Just over a year after Hannah’s tragic death, Jason Lepcha, a local taxi driver with a good understanding of English, was hired as a driver in Darjeeling by the chief murder suspect. He subsequently responded to a national appeal for information that led to the arrest of Mr. Kohli in Darjeeling in July 2004. In return for providing the police with the vital information, Jason received a reward of £4569 from the Hampshire Police.

Jason is an educated man from a modest background but he always had a dream to provide free education for the children in the Dhooteriah Tea Garden, one of the country’s poorest regions. Instead of spending the reward on himself, Jason used the money and help from the local villagers to secure a plot of land suitable to build a school on.
In 2005 Jason’s vision became a reality, with the opening of an English school in the Dhooteriah Tea Garden. The school is situated in the village of Santi Gram, 21 km from Darjeeling town, in the foothills of the Himalayas.

Today, Jason and his wife Isabella manage and administer the school under an Indian trust, with the support of 7 local Trustees. Most importantly, the school is named after Hannah and serves as living memory to her while helping the regions children to get a good start in life.

Jason pupil and pony Jason looking at progress Darjeeling 4650 Jasons pony

Christine and Roger’s story

How the trust was formed.

In November 2006 Christine and Roger had been travelling in Darjeeling, when their driver, Jason told them about his school. One day they visited it and immediately decided they would like to support such a wonderful, practical memorial.

They came home to Hampton and with the full support of Trevor and Hilary Foster, Hannah’s parents, started collecting funds. The school had opened with one building, 5 teachers, a few teaching materials and 22 pupils. Gradually, with a lot of hard work and cajoling, funding has enabled the school to grow to a maximum roll of 125 pupils.

Gradually, Chris and Rog involved their friends, sending books, funds and anything they could muster. Then in August, realising how much more funding is needed to guarantee the continuation of the school, they set up the Hannah Memorial Academy Charitable Trust.

IMG 2348 IMG 0868 Carpentry Building the school IMG 2353

The Charitable Trust

How the trust supports the school.

Purpose

The Trust supports the school through Jason, his family and the staff – who have the skills, knowledge, determination and vision – but not the financial wherewithal.

The Trustees:

  • Christine Browning, BSc (Hons) –  Company Director
  • Roger Maclaverty, LLB – Retired Solicitor, Notary Public
  • Camilla Maclaverty, LLB(Hons), MSc Overseas Development
  • Ben Pattie – Public Relations and Social Media
  • Ram Varma –  ACA Chartered Accountant, Treasurer
  • Helen Wilde – Charity Fund Raiser and former High Sheriff of Bristol

The work of the Trust is fully supported by Hannah’s parents Hilary and Trevor Foster, who are kept informed at all times of what we do and what is happening in Hannah’s school.

How we manage the Trust

The Trustees give all their time for free, charge no personal expenses, and apart from minimal essential costs, every penny raised is used entirely for the benefit of the school and its pupils.

Even our interest bearing Bank Account is free! School Budgets are agreed in advance, all expenditure is recorded and monitored, and our aim is for at least annual visits by one or more trustees.

The school complex Reception Class Working Hard Picture15