Cwmbran-based Nortech’s managing director Stephen Blackler has recently returned from another fundraising activity in which he climbed the Simien mountain range in Ethiopia, scaling the highest peak Ras Dashen at no less than 4,620 metres.

He made a similar climb in 2016 of Mount Meru, Tanzania’s second highest mountain at 4,565 metres located in the centre of Arusha National Park.

It’s all in aid of Nortech’s nominated charity, The Orphans Project of The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Kenya, the most successful orphan-elephant rescue and rehabilitation programme in the world.

Under the scheme, Nortech has for two years now been a foster parent for two baby elephants - Arruba and Murera - and all the money raised by Nortech goes in support of their upkeep.

As the foster parent, Nortech receives monthly updates with a link to each of the baby elephants from the Keepers Diary where they can track their progress and weekly activities. The elephants become orphans after their parents have been poached for their ivory or have simply strayed away.

Arruba and Murera were aged eight months and 2 ½ years respectively when taken into the rescue programme and as with the other infant elephants are then hand reared at the centre until eventual re-integration into the wild herds.

Stephen Blacker originally become interested in the Orphans Project after being inspired by reading the book by the late Daphne Sheldrick, ‘Love, Life and Elephants: An African Love Story.’

Stephen said: “I have always had an interest in wildlife and this interest grew when I spent seven years in South Africa working in Johannesburg.

"After my mountain climb in Tanzania, I visited The Orphans project facility and immediately decided that this was such a worthwhile charity to support that we made a donation to the Trust and continue to foster the two baby elephants.”

Nortech has supplied products and solutions to the security industry for more than 25 years as an independent British company. The company uses extensive experience and expertise to create new security products to fit their clients’ needs and designs everything with the customer in mind.