Aiming high with launch of charity (From Swindon Advertiser)

Aiming high with launch of charity

11:20pm Tuesday 21st April 2009 in News By Emma Streatfield

CELEBRITIES and well-known Swindon faces were out in force to support a new charity which is aiming high.

Christine Hamilton and Dragon’s Den judge Rachel Elnaugh were among those supporting the launch of Inner Flame, a charity that aims to help young people to build confidence and self-belief and find direction and purpose in their lives.

Christine – who starred in ITV’s I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here and is married to former MP Neil Hamilton – became involved in the charity after she met Inner Flame’s ambassador Elaine Godley.

She said: “I’m a supporter of anything that helps to motivate young people to make something of themselves.

“Too many lives are wasted for whatever reason.

“There’s so much for young people to get involved with, but we can always do with more.”

Alongside the official launch at Menzies Hotel, Fleming Way, Swindon, the charity wants to inspire people to get involved in its fundraiser Mount Everest Challenge.

This takes place on Saturday, June 20, until Sunday, June 21, at Keynes Country Park where a team will attempt to climb a 29 ft pole 1,000 times – the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest in a 24-hour period.

This is to enable more people to do the four-day personal development courses the charity has set up called ‘Fire Me Up’.

Jimmy, 18, from Gorse Hill, heard about the opportunity from teachers at Swindon Academy.

He said the team had bonded through various exercises and he met people from a variety of backgrounds.

“I’m a lot more motivated than I was beforehand – obviously everyone took a different thing from the course,” he said.

Inner Flame was conceived by David Wreathall, a 43-year-old businessman, and Glenn Bridges, 19, last February and is predominantly aimed at 14 to 18-year-olds.

Mr Wreathall said: “It helps them to find their direction and what’s important to them and take action towards that. We take young people away from their peer group into a group of every background and we focus on them as individuals.”

Mrs Elnaugh, who appeared on the BBC series Dragon’s Den which judges business projects’ potential, does mentoring and consultancy herself and gave Mr Wreathall advice about the project, “I think it’s fantastic,” she said.

“It’s this whole thing about improvement, when we were young there wasn’t that same kind of movement happening to encourage youngsters.”

She said that the idea of people going into business purely to make money seemed at an end with people choosing to give something back.

“We’re seeing a backlash against capitalism,” she said.

To find out more see the website www.innerflame.org.

uk, or www.mounteverest challenge.com or call 0844 415 4880.

To find out more about ‘Fire Me Up’ courses call 0845 459 3002 or send an email to firemeup@ innerflame.org.uk.