Co-Chair Ami climbs to Everest Basecamp!

Say a big hello to Ami, our wonderful co-chair at Tiny Changes!

Ami has been a trustee for more than three years now and has played a key role in shaping the future of Tiny Changes. She is now shaping up to celebrate a big birthday with a climb to the Everest Base Camp later this year! She’ll be completing the challenge alongside a couple of great friends and raising vital funds for Tiny Changes along the way.

While she prepares for the challenge of a lifetime, we grabbed her for a quick chat to hear a little more about her story and what she’s expecting from her trip to Nepal…

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Hi Ami! Could you introduce yourself, and tell us a bit about what you do at Tiny Changes and what led you to the charity?

I’m a very proud trustee and co-chair of Tiny Changes, and have been for the past 3 years. I work alongside the  board and CEO to help with the governance of the charity – we meet regularly throughout the year to review papers, budgets and the strategic direction of the charity.

Being a trustee is a voluntary role and I have learned so much over the years working with Kara, Filo and the team as well as the wavemakers and young people who are a crucial part of what we do. I was initially led to Tiny Changes through following Frightened Rabbit, and I really admired what the charity was striving to do. It’s been amazing to see the hard work of the team pay-off as the charity continues to grow and move in an exciting direction.

What about your life and work away from Tiny Changes?

In my day-to-day life I’m a TV producer, working on anything from documentaries to entertainment shows. So it’s a busy job where no two days are the same but I don’t like to sit still so that helps, and I genuinely love working with so many different people. I also love to travel and explore new places whenever I’m not working. Travelling is definitely when I feel the most “me” so I’m always planning my next adventure.

You’ll be completing an incredible fundraising challenge later in the year – could you tell us all about it please?

I turn the big 4-0 next year and I decided that, as part of a 40 before 40 list, I wanted to trek to Everest Base Camp (the list also includes perfecting the art of parallel parking and I think Base camp is more achievable if I’m honest). I climbed Mt Kilimanjaro the year I turned 30 and so it was always my plan to go for Base Camp before I was 40. And then, as life does, time has just flown away so realised that I had better book it!

So in October I’m heading to Nepal with 2 friends and the trek will take around 14 days, to the basecamp and back. I thought that if I was doing it, I wanted to use it as a way to raise some money and Tiny Changes was the obvious choice. Also it makes me more accountable when people are donating their hard earned cash for me to get my backside in gear and get to the end.

Have you ever done a challenge like this before? and how do you feel about it?

I climbed Kilimanjaro nine years ago so I feel like I have some idea of what to prepare for. I’m generally really excited about it all. I’m very excited to visit Nepal and to spend 14 days in nature and disconnecting. I find walking and being outdoors really beneficial for my own mental wellbeing and having no reason to check emails or social media for a couple of weeks is something I’m really looking forward to. I’m of course a little apprehensive about the physical element of it but on the whole I’m just really up for the challenge and the adventure it will bring.

What are you most looking forward to with regard to the challenge?

I’m really excited to see a new and very different part of the world and to learn about different communities and cultures along the trek. I find it really hard to switch off  (I’m working on it!) and so having 14 days where internet and signal isn’t readily accessible is something I’m really looking forward to. I will literally be focusing on putting one foot in front of the other and I’m looking forward to making that my only goal.

How will you prepare for this and where are you finding the motivation and courage needed to take on such a challenge? 

If I’m honest, I should definitely be doing more training than I am but with a very busy job and life it’s not always easy to fit in. So I’m keeping as fit as I can, hitting the gym and I’ll also be doing some more hills and bigger walks over the next few months. I have a very cute, albeit unruly and stubborn, sausage dog so he has joined me on a couple of walks, not that he was delighted about it.

I’ve already had some really generous donations and kind words from friends, family, and colleagues which is a great motivation. Being part of the Tiny Changes community over the years, I have seen people do extraordinary things to raise money for the charity and that is a huge motivation for me to do my bit too. Being ‘Brave’ is one of Tiny Change’s values, so I’m definitely leaning into that and will just take it all one step at a time. Mental illness has touched my own life and loved ones so I’m also doing this in memory of good friends loved and lost, and that will keep me going no matter what.

Finally, what’s your proudest moment regarding your work with Tiny Changes and where do you find hope?

Great question…and hard to answer!

There have been so many proud moments. I think most recently it would be seeing the announcement of the five new Project Leaders who will be working with young people in their own communities, supported by Tiny Changes. It marks an exciting new direction for the charity and I am really looking forward to see the great stuff they do.

And as for hope, I most definitely find it in other people. Those I have been lucky enough to meet through my own work, with Tiny Changes, and in my own life who face adversity and never give up. Wherever there are people willing to work together and support each other, there is always hope.

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To donate to Ami’s fundraiser, visit her JustGiving page here