Borneo Summer 2024

How did I find the application process? 

I was searching for charities and organisations that I could apply to for funding towards my expedition and found the Neil Mackenzie Trust. I was really interested in the background of the Trust & its aims and values. Although I knew I didn’t meet 100% of the criteria (not living in Scotland), I hoped my links, with Grandparents living in Inverness and the walking miles, with my other grandparents loving walking and myself about to do a walking challenge (the Chesterfield Canal) as part of my fundraising would support my application, and it did :). 

The application process was quite clear in its requests for information. It enabled me to identify the specific reasons for my enthusiasm about attending the expedition and understand how I could contribute to making significant changes in small ways. Once I completed the form and submitted it, I was kept well-informed of the next steps and received confirmation of my success very promptly. 

How did I feel when I was told I was successful in receiving funding?

When I was told that I was successful in receiving a grant from your Trust, I was honestly ecstatic.

Here are a few details of how the grant was spent:

The grant was paid towards the funding of my Expedition to Borneo in association with the Camps International organisation. It was used as part of the total sum paid towards £4,580 to allow me to travel to and work in Borneo and ultimately have one of, if not the best experience of my life. The funding will have been split between the costs of: paying for the concrete and equipment used in my projects; the cost of the flight; the food provided to all Camps International groups in Borneo; & the funding towards my Scuba Diving qualification.

What was achieved as a result of the support? 

As a result of the amazing support from The Neil Mackenzie Trust, I was able to raise the total sum of money to pay for my expedition to Borneo. Your contribution, allowing me to go to Borneo, directly impacting my participation in completing my group’s projects at the different locations we visited.

What impact has the grant had on me?

The grant of £350 gifted to me by the Neil Mackenzie Trust was beneficial in helping me get to pay to go on the Expedition to Borneo. It helped me partake in a life-changing experience which has opened my eyes to the wider world.

How has the funding improved my general health and well-being? 

It has helped me build confidence and has helped motivate me to strive to help those who unfortunately cannot always help themselves, to bring together people who would usually never meet, and overall strengthen the relations people should have worldwide, bringing people across the globe together to bring forward the big movement of caring for other people even if they are not known to you. 

More information about my expedition:

This was a four-week trip to Malaysian Borneo, during which I and a group of peers from my school travelled to the northern region of Borneo, Sabah. We visited many small villages across the island and helped with the beginnings of community projects related to refurbishment and infrastructure. Tasks included clearing dead flora to create better spaces for the public, bricklaying, mixing cement (28 batches, to be exact), and creating the foundations for infrastructure e.g. a new path up to the community church, the beginnings of a new toilet block, creating a usable walking and running track for the Locals to use, or the maintaining of a building to be used for schooling. All of the Villages visited had very unique and different traditions and cultures, and being able to see such a wide range of people and places was truly amazing. At each camp, my team was lucky enough to make great relations with the locals and get on very well, being welcomed so nicely and treated like a part of the village during our stay.

The expedition included a day visiting Sepilok: the Orang-Utan nursery in Sandakan, North East Sabah. Here, we were able to understand more about the wildlife of the region we were in and how Borneo is very special as it is one of only two islands where orangutans are now present in the wild. We were also able to witness the feeding of the orangutan youth in a semi-wild environment, as they learnt to collect & scavenge for food without the input of the Sepilok team. 

The expedition also included a 4-day PADI divers course on Mamutik Island, in which I completed 5 open water dives with my group, and I am now officially a trained PADI Scuba Diver. This process helped in the understanding of Malaysian culture and traditions as a lot of Malaysia borders salt water. We were able to speak Malay to our instructors, and it was very impactful to me as it felt like I was properly appreciating & respecting the country we were visiting.  

What are my next steps going forward?

Going forward, I have been able to add the experience from Borneo and the work completed onto my UCAS reference, which piqued interest from the universities I have applied to, and I now have 3 conditional offers.

I can use the skills learnt from this experience to apply them to my skills and CVs in the future.