Some are soon to leave while others celebrated their success: graduates and new venturers of Raleigh Bermuda have marked a special new year for the programme.

The group has 14 young Bermudians heading out this summer to Nepal, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, Borneo and Tanzania to live with and support rural communities.

It is the first year that Raleigh International has included Nepal, and two Bermudians will be among the first to go.

Meanwhile, graduate Ashanti Stovell took the programme’s Michael J. Spurling award as an engaged and active Raleigh advocate, while Jasmin Smith received the Malcolm K. Outerbridge award for personal transformation.