THREE Winsford fire cadets were welcomed to a village in Nepal ‘like royalty’ when they visited to help build a new school for the children.

Louis Greenwood, Hannah Wenborn and Imogen Graffham joined 12 other cadets from around Cheshire in a journey to Nepal on October 24 where they helped work on new a school.

The cadets returned home after 16 days, leaving a new school for the children of Thulodhunga in Nepal, who were previously taught in a tent.

Seventeen-year-old Louis was amazed by the welcome the group received and said the work they had done will help ‘generations of people.’

Louis Greenwood, 17, said: “The reaction was incredible. They gave us a traditional welcome, throwing flowers over us and playing music. We got treated like royalty.

“We were led down to the school and every child had a bouquet of flowers for us.

“I went out there because I just wanted to help someone and make a difference to someone’s life, but little did I know, the work I’d be doing would help generations of people.”

The group trekked on foot through the Himalayas, to get to the village of Thulodhunga, where the school had already been built by local people.

The cadets set to painting walls, building steps, cleaning windows and floors and putting up notice boards before designing and painting a mural on the side of the building, with their names on it.

The group of 15 cadets and nine leaders raised more than £60,000 to fund the trip.

Nick Evans, youth and community cohesion manager at Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service, said: “I have never been more proud.

"The Cheshire Fire Cadets conquered fears and walked until they couldn’t walk any more to get to this village. The sheer determination they had from start to finish to fulfil this project has amazed me.


“This trip will hold many special memories for us all but more importantly it has set all our lives on a different path than the one we came here on.”