A WREXHAM-based charity which helps some of Nepal’s most impoverished children gain an education has thanked a finance firm for a cash boost.
Treasurer of The Brick Children School charity, Terry Wales, met with Hadlow Edwards Wealth Management Director Medwyn Edwards to share with him the good work which the charity does.
The charity was set up more than a decade ago and supports migrant families working in the brick fields of the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal.
Its primary aim is to provide education and healthcare for the child labourers, generally from the ages of three to 11, offering time away from their harsh working life and a chance to be a child for a part of their working day. The charity also works with their parents too, providing literacy and skills training in a bid to improve the fortunes and future of the whole family.
Medwyn first heard about The Brick Children School via the Wrexham Yale Rotary Club of which he is a member.
His Regent Street firm is a Principal Partner Practice of St. James’s Place which is one of the UK’s largest wealth management organisations and looks after client funds amounting to £83 bn. It has a charitable arm called the St. James’s Place Foundation which offers grants to a range of different charities every year.
Medwyn was so impressed with what The Brick Children School does that he encouraged the community project to apply for one of the St. James’s Place Foundation grants and they secured £1,000 towards the cause.
He also ensured a further cash boost earlier in the year by donating £500 from the proceeds of the money they saved from not sending clients Christmas cards but using the money to benefit worthwhile projects instead.
Medwyn said: “You can’t fail to be touched by the fantastic and dedicated work which The Brick Children School does. What appealed to me is that it helps such poor and needy families in a very practical way by giving parents and their children a chance to improve their lives for themselves.
“It’s a terrific cause and if we can help the charity, in some small way, continue the much valued and effective work it does, then I am pleased about that.”
Terry, a retired Headteacher from Wrexham, said: “We are very grateful to companies such as Hadlow Edwards who are willing to support us and think what we are trying to do is worthy of their support.
“It’s very hard for us to understand the struggles and hardship these families endure. I have travelled to the area myself and seen it first-hand. The parents are earning very low wages and are there working tirelessly all day, making bricks, in an effort to feed their family. Life is very tough for them and has been compounded by the 2015 earthquakes which struck the region.
“The Brick Children School gives their children access to an education and also some basic healthcare too. For many of them, the meal they receive while they are there is the only decent one they will get all day so it works on many different levels.
“For these children, the school is a bit like an oasis, it’s a chance for them to be children for a little while and get away from the difficulties they experience in their lives. It’s a super place.”
Hadlow Edwards was founded by joint directors Medwyn Edwards and Warren Hadlow, more than 15 years ago, and offers personal advice on many aspects of wealth management to both individuals and businesses.
The firm is no stranger to supporting charitable causes.
Earlier this year the company reached a £20,000 milestone with fundraising for Nightingale House Hospice and they are also keen supporters of Nicola’s Fund, which helps families coping with childhood cancer to enjoy a well-deserved paid-for holiday.
Medwyn added: “We are at the heart of the Wrexham community which has always supported us and so we see it as incredibly important to give back where we can. One of the best ways we can do this is by supporting worthwhile local charities and it is a pleasure to do so.”
For more information about The Brick Children School go to www.brickchildrenschool.com
