A GROUP of former Solihull School students are set to scale Mount Snowdon to raise money for charity in memory of a former classmate.
Alex Diez-Jones was just 24 when he died suddenly in his sleep while on a dream six-month tour of South America in 2015.
Now, a dozen of his friends are recreating a trip they all made to Snowdonia while students at Solihull – even making use of the school’s David Fricke mountain cottage just as they did over 10 years ago.
The friends of the Rugby-loving young man are aiming to raise at least £2,000 for Shelter, a charity which provides help to the homeless and with whom Alex did volunteering work before his tragic death, when they take on the expedition over the weekend of April 28 to 30.
Alex, sometimes known as Fernando, was born in Zaragoza Spain and moved to Solihull with his family in 1996.
Tributes paid to him following his tragic passing described him as ‘an adventurous soul, full of fun and who loved life.
They continued: “He made us all smile.
“He had great plans-to complete his Masters in International Development at Birmingham Uni and then work for a charity organisation.
“He was a loving son and brother who wore his heart on his sleeve.
“He confronted life with real passion and always defended the marginalised and vulnerable.
“He was his own man, who had strong political views and wasn’t afraid to speak out.”
A spokesperson for the group taking on the Snowdon climb said the former classmates wanted to do something which would enable them to all get together at one time and place.
They continued: “We remembered the Snowdonia trip we went on at school and thought it would be appropriate to do that again. “Solihull School have been hugely supportive and agreed we could use their cottage, which has been a great help.
“All the money raised will go to the charity, Shelter, which Alex supported before his death.
“Alex was also planning to try to make a positive impact with fundraising for the charity when he returned from America, so it was natural for us to think of them.”
David EJJ Lloyd, headmaster of Solihull School, added: “When we were told by our former students about recreating their Snowdon trip in memory of Alex, we thought it was a wonderful idea.
“We were, of course, more than happy to let the group make use of our cottage at Snowdonia and we wish them all the best for the climb.”
To donate to the group’s fund-raising mission, search ‘Climbing Snowdon for Alex’ at www.justgiving.com. For more information about Solihull School, visit www.solsch.org.uk.
