Ned’s Fund support Switch180

Switch180 have joined forces with Ned’s Fund, a fund set up in the memory of Ned Harris.

Ned took his own life on the railway line at Witley Station on 17th July 2017; he was 20. Ned was bright, courageous, funny, a natural sportsman, a brilliant skier and snowboarder, a wonderful brother and a much loved and cherished son. Ned and education just did not work; he was under-stimulated and, as a result, disruptive. He spent most of the day excluded from the classroom. Ned left school and home at an early age, without direction. He estranged himself from his family.

Ned’s Fund was set as a way for the family to look forward, a way to do as much as possible to give young people, like Ned, hope for a happy and purposeful future.

We are honoured that the Ned’s Fund Trustees have selected our programme Snow Camp as one of their first charities to support. Thanks to Ned’s Fund’s generous support, 7 young people were able to join our London Graduate course in October. 2 young people were then provided with a bursary, giving them the opportunity to become qualified instructors and to start careers in the snowsports industry in 2020.

Haroun Al-Goned and Kavell Gottshalk will now begin our Excel course in February. It’s a hugely exciting time for them both as they will now take part in 10 weeks of advanced snowsports training with assessment by Snowsport England, which includes 20 hours shadowing their instructors during a 9-day residential to Austria with Equity Ski. The course includes life-skills sessions throughout which will focus on career opportunities, working with young people and the theory of teaching snowsports. Haroun and Kavell will receive a Snowsport England Instructor qualification and First Aid and Safeguarding certificates.

“Ned loved snowboarding, he was a natural, he gained so much confidence and a real sense of achievement from being really good at something. The aim of Ned’s Fund is to help struggling young adults to achieve their true potential and enhance their self worth enabling them to have a happy positive future. We are all, at Ned’s Fund, so looking forward to following Haroun and Kavell’s journey with Snow Camp.” – Jo Marsden, Ned’s Fund Trustee.

Thank you to Jo and the Ned’s Fund Trustees for believing in our work. We look forward to updating you on Haroun and Kavell’s progress! If you would like to find out more about the Fund head to: https://www.nedsfund.co.uk/