A century ago New Earswick was created by one of York’s greatest philanthropists. Today it’s home to another, less known, benefactor. MATT CLARK went to meet him.

WHEN Nick Morrice decided to sponsor a boy in Kathmandu, he hoped it might make a bit of a difference. But it wasn't until he decided to visit Nepal that Nick realised £300 a year was nothing more than a drop in the ocean.

He also hoped to meet the ten-year-old he was helping, called Manish, but apparently there had been a murder in his village, the police had sealed off the roads and no one was allowed out.

But from disappointment came inspiration. Nick was invited to preach in a Nepalese church and afterwards he was introduced to Indra Maya, who ran a little orphanage for five young lads; all down on their luck, but desperate for a chance to prove themselves.

Nick doesn't have children of his own, but the plight of these boys touched him so much that within a couple of days he found himself part of a surrogate family in Nepal.

"They were in their late teens and early twenties,” says Nick. “Indra was particularly concerned about one of them called Ramesh, who wanted to train as a doctor but didn’t have any money. They were all as poor as church mice."

Nick saw through Ramesh's frustrations to discover a bright, sincere lad who was brimming with promise.

"I asked if there was any way I could help. Well he looked straight at me and said you could pray for me, which wasn’t quite the answer I'd expected."

What Ramesh really needed was a benefactor.

"I must admit I was very nervous, because it's so easy to be taken for a ride,” says Nick. “Half of me didn't want anything to do with it."

However, the other half of Nick had an intuition that this was an honest young man. And as his mother had left him an inheritance, that was just sitting in the bank, perhaps he could help.

But wasn't it a giant leap of faith from £25 a month to help out ten-year-old Manish to the huge cost of putting Ramesh through medical school?

"Yes, of course. But my parents paid for my education and I didn't have any children to help. So I thought maybe I could provide private education for this boy."

When time came for Nick to fly home he arranged to meet Ramesh beforehand, but he didn't show up. Slightly relieved, Nick left his contact details, boarded the plane and half expected that to be the end of the story.

But it wasn't. Ramesh had been held up in traffic and that's why he missed the appointment. He got in touch and the pair began to correspond regularly by email.

"I was touched to the heart and nearly a year later I agreed to send some money to a completely unknown bank account."

Not surprisingly Nick’s friends thought he was mad. But his faith was repaid and now Ramesh is well on his way to realising his dream.

"I suppose I was lucky, I was an innocent abroad and it could have all gone pear-shaped. But I had a hunch all would be okay and so it has proved."

For most people that would be enough, but Nick was conscious the four others in the orphanage needed help too. By now he regarded all the boys as his family and they ought to be treated equally.

So with Nick's help, Niran is studying to be an accountant; Anish is reading hotel management, Sunil is being supported as a social worker and Arun, the youngest, is still at school, studying science subjects, and hopes to become an engineer.

And Nick's philanthropy doesn’t end there. On his last visit he took the boys on holiday to Pokhera and even bought them a house.

"They've all had very difficult backgrounds, whereas I had a privileged upbringing, with good opportunities, now I'm giving them good opportunities."

Nick says he and the boys have become really close and they call him uncle.

“To me they are my godsons,” he says.

They are also the subject of Nick's recently published book: Discovered In Kathmandu – The true story of how one man from York found his Nepalese ‘family’.

Nick wrote it not just to tell a remarkable story of philanthropy, but with the inheritance all but dried up; he now needs it to earn royalties to see the venture through.

''I foresee this lasting another six years, by which time the students will be well qualified and able to earn a good living,” he says.

“If the book became a best-seller, that would help, but realistically, my story needs to touch the hearts of some benefactors who are prepared to help me complete the project.

“Who knows?''


Nick Morrice first began sponsoring through C.H.A.N.C.E. for Nepal (Children's Health and Nutrition Care and Education) which was founded in 2006 by Barbara Datson. If you would like to help visit chancefornepal.org or phone 01483 277484

Discovered in Kathmandu is available from Waterstones, Amazon and all good bookshops. All the proceeds from sales of the book goes to the families Nick supports in Nepal.

To donate to Nick's project visit www.discoveredinkathmandu.co.uk