Moving the Mountains
605. Gavin Bate
Gavin Bate is a social entrepreneur, mountaineer and founder of the Belfast charity ‘Moving Mountains’.
Gavin undertakes mountaineering expeditions – including scaling Everest six times – in order to raise funds and awareness for the charity which supports social enterprises and sustainable conservation projects in Nepal, Borneo and East Africa.
Working to assist disadvantaged communities, Moving Mountains sets up local charities to become the architects of their own success and future, and empowers local people to create positive change.
In a personal letter to Gavin, Prime Minister Theresa May said:
“Your passionate commitment to giving communities ‘a leg up, not a hand out’ is transforming lives in Nepal, Borneo and East Africa. You should be proud of ‘Moving Mountains’ and your brilliant work to fundraise for its projects.”
Gavin said:
“I started volunteering in the slums of Nairobi many years ago, working as a teacher, an aid driver, building clinics and helping re-unite street children with their families. I would never have guessed that journey would take me to the top of Mount Everest promoting the charity I started called Moving Mountains, and now being the winner of the Points of Light Award. It is very heartening and encouraging, awards like this only ever motivate people to try harder and do more. My hope is that Moving Mountains has a life and sustainability beyond my imaginings, and that the awareness created by this award will attract more people to volunteer with us.”