Fundraiser set up to help Banbury teenager achieve volunteering goal in Costa Rica

Hardworking 16-year-old Benjy Atherton has set himself the goal of raising £2,000, which will fund his trip to Central America.

The Warriner School student and part-time lifeguard hopes to complete his Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) award by volunteering at an orphanage and participating in maintenance projects in Costa Rica.

Benjy is already a familiar face at the Banbury Madni Masjid mosque’s Community Fridge, where he spends Monday evenings assisting with distributing the food.

However, the teen decided that he wanted to challenge himself further and fully immerse himself in volunteering by travelling abroad and helping people in need.

Benjy said: “When I was looking on the DofE website, there were lots within the UK; however, when I saw the one in Costa Rica, it felt like an amazing opportunity I couldn’t miss out on.”

Benjy will leave England on August 4 and will spend two weeks in Costa Rica, working in some of the country’s most deprived areas.

He added: "I will be helping orphaned children waiting for placements, doing maintenance work, and just helping out on various projects where I am needed.

“I enjoy volunteering and helping people and the self-enrichment that comes with it, so to combine that with travelling is really cool and something I couldn’t turn down.”

Alongside the GoFundMe page Benjy has set up, he is taking on gardening work to help cover the costs of flights, accommodation and activities.

To help Benjy get to Costa Rica, or for more information visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/benjy-costarica