Latest News

PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 17:27:49 +0000

We are delighted to showcase an exhibition by British photographer, Helen Maynard, at the Best of Kendal Mountain Film Festival on Tuesday 16th March.  Helen’s photographic commissions have taken her around the world for a wide range of projects. Her sense of adventure inspired her to capture the essence of the countries she visited in addition to completing the tasks in hand.

She has exhibited her work internationally and has projects held by The British Library, the Women’s Library London and in numerous private collections.

For more information, please visit www.helenmaynard.com

Best of Kendal Film Festival - 16th March 2010

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 17:06:06 +0000

Porters Progress UK is pleased to bring you the very best of the Kendal Mountain Film Festival. Don't miss this year's award winning collection of films to be screened at the Royal Geographical Society on Tuesday 16th March at 7pm.
The Kendal Mountain Film Festival is one of the best film festivals in the world and each November in the Lake District it showcases a breathtaking collection of the greatest adventure films from across the globe. Porters Progress UK proudly presents the highlights of the festival at London's prestigious Royal Geographical Society.
Tuesday 16th March 2010
7pm - 10pm (doors open 6pm)
1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR
Tickets £10

To book tickets CLICK HERE

ROHAN DONATE CLOTHING TO PORTERS

Thu, 7 Jan 2010 17:54:19 +0000

Outdoor clothing specialists, Rohan, have very kindly donated 7 large boxes of kit, including trousers, fleeces and shirts to Porters Progress UK.

“Rohan are proud to be helping this great initiative, and in some small way offer direct useful action to these amazingly hard-working people. By donating some Rohan garments we hope we can help the porters go into the harsh mountain environments with suitable outdoor clothing, and enable them to avoid unnecessary hardship and risk in their daily jobs” - Andy Manning, November 2009

We are very grateful for any donations received. To find out more about how you can donate to PPUK, please click here

Porter research project with medex

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 23:06:40 +0100

Porters’ Progress UK is helping to fund and support a research project organised by MedEx and Medical Expeditions to investigate porter mortality and morbidity. For many years there has been substantial anecdotal evidence of injuries and fatalities of porters at altitude and on remote treks.

However, there is no comprehensive reporting system and quantitative data has been almost non-existent. This makes it difficult to identify how best to target assistance and awareness programmes.

The research project will involve medical student volunteers standing at the trail ends of the more remote Dhaulagiri trek in Marpha, near Jomson, and the more well-known Annapurna Circuit, and conducting surveys of groups on each route to ascertain the incidence of porter illness and injury.

The collaboration with Medex, a UK based organization formed in 1992 in order to support the charitable works of Medical Expeditions, has enabled us to develop our protocol and involve students from Medical schools across the UK, including Warwick and Oxford. It is intended that the first batch of Medical Students will pilot this project next March and April.

If you are interested in taking part in the project please go to the Medex website and complete the registration of interest form at www.medex.org.uk

artist donates painting for auction

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 22:49:41 +0100

London-based landscape painter Luke Walker has generously donated one of his paintings, ‘Thame, Nepal’ for an auction at the 24 November Ian Parnell lecture. (1000mm x 1000mm oil on canvas).

Though qualified as an interior and spatial designer, Luke has been painting landscapes for 20 years. He combines drawing, oil painting and photography to define spaces in the world around him, both large and small.

Luke is an accomplished mountaineer and his work has been influenced by his travels to the high places of Britain, Europe and the Himalaya. ‘Thame, Nepal’ was inspired by a climbing expedition in Nepal which also raised his interest in the welfare of porters. "Having just crossed the Teshi Lapcha Pass at 5,700 metres, we simply wouldn't have achieved our goal without their support. Their stoicism and strength was an inspiration to me and I really wanted to be able to offer them something in return. I feel PPUK's work highlights the plights of these remote mountain people, the work they have to do and the risks they take simply in order to survive."

Luke Walker is holding his first solo exhibition at Acquire Arts, 155 Battersea Park Road from 22-27 October 2009. For more information visit www.acquirearts.org

new clothing bank opens in kathmandu

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:58:38 +0100

A group of international charities has joined forces to fund a new porter clothing bank at the long- established Kathmandu Environmental Education Project (KEEP) in Kathmandu. Porter clothing banks have operated in Kathmandu for some years but this is the first coordinated effort between several charities, a move that makes sense given the similarity of programmes run in the past and the economic climate at the present time.

Community Action Nepal, Porters’ Progress UK, US-based International Mountain Explorers Connection and the International Porter Protection Group (IPPG) all contributed funding, resources and time to get the KEEP Porter Clothing Bank (PCB) established. The initiative is being co-ordinated by Ian Wall of Community Action Nepal (set up and run by British mountaineer Doug Scott) and DB Gurung at KEEP.

Porters’ Progress UK has helped to buy 100 sets of clothing, including waterproof trousers and jackets, boots, socks, gloves and sunglasses, to provide the clothing bank with modest stock ahead of the autumn trekking season. These goods were all sourced/made locally in Kathmandu.

PPUK supporter volunteers in Lukla

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 23:10:54 +0100

Geography graduate and keen traveller Edward Marland is helping at the Everest clothing bank during the autumn trekking season after responding to a call for volunteers at last year’s lecture.

“Porters are the backbone of the trekking industry in Nepal, yet they are often marginalised by those who have more economic and political clout. They carry heavy loads so people like you and me can enjoy the high mountains, yet they are often poorly equipped and receive little support. It’s good to be able to give something back by working with the Everest clothing bank,” Ed said.

Ed has volunteered for Porters’ Progress UK before embarking on a career as a teacher.

IAN PARNELL LECTURE

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 18:24:33 +0100

Porters' Progress UK is proud to present an evening with one of Britain’s most accomplished mountaineers and photographers, Ian Parnell. Ian is perhaps best known for accompanying Sir Ranulph Fiennes on his successful ascent of the North Face of the Eiger but his own climbs have drawn similar plaudits, including four nominations for the world’s most coveted mountaineering award, the Piolet d’Or (the golden ice axe).

Join Ian, as he lets us in on the secrets of ‘British-style’ in the mountains and illustrates his entertaining adventures on some of the world’s toughest peaks through unique video footage and his outstanding photography.

FOR MORE DETAILS CLICK HERE

POWDER BYRNE DONATES KIT TO PPUK

Wed, 17 Jun 2009 23:14:29 +0100

Porters’ Progress UK has received a large donation of quality used clothing from luxury holiday company Powder Byrne. Six large boxes (150 kg) of Goretex jackets are awaiting dispatch to Nepal or Kilimanjaro where they will be used in the porter clothing banks.

“Powder Byrne is delighted to support Porters Progress with ski jackets and equipment from our winter operations. We firmly support their vision of change through education and empowerment and it’s great to have found an organisation that we can trust to ensure support is going directly to those who need it most through their clothing bank scheme. Keep up the great work!”

Last year, Inghams donated 300 kg of outdoor clothing which was successfully transported to Tanzania for porters’ use through the Kilimanjaro Porters Assistance Project which is working to improve the welfare of porters on expeditions and treks to Kilimanjaro.

Dream Guides donate £650 to PPUK

Thu, 8 Jan 2009 13:50:49 +0000

Following the exceptionally entertaining “Blood, Sweat and Frozen Tears’ lecture at the Royal Geographical Society in October, Kenton Cool and Rob Casserley have raised £650 for Porters’ Progress UK! Kenton, the director of professional guiding company Dream-Guides, has been a loyal supporter of the charity since our inception and we’d like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to both Rob and Kenton for their very generous efforts.

For more information on Dream Guides visit www.dream-guides.com