The trip, which has been organised by Derbyshire County Council's youth service, is to Lungthung, an isolated village close to the border with Tibet. They have been hard at work over the past nine months, organising a series of events to raise money for the trip. In addition, contributions from the National Lottery, Derbyshire County Council, the Royal Mail, the Andy Fanshaw Trust and Netherthorpe School's sixth form charity fund have paid for equipment and materials. The trip has also received a grant and approval from the Royal Geographical Society Young Explorers Trust. The young people are aiming to improve health and hygiene conditions in Lungthung, a village so remote it is reached by an eight-day trek.
Residents are so poor that they get by on subsistence level, bartering for the basics of life.
The Derbyshire group will set up play schemes and small construction projects. They will also take sport and craft equipment and medical supplies including bandages and a blood pressure monitor. All the young people are aged 16 and over and will be accompanied by two youth workers and two nurses. When the Derbyshire group travels home the nurses will return to the village for a 10-week placement. This will be the second visit by Derbyshire young people - a trip in 1998 introduced a range of improvements at the local school including running water.