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Hundreds of students set to take on adventures in support of charities have been forced to abandon their plans after a UK travel firm went bust without warning.

About 40 people from Nottingham University were grounded at Gatwick airport on Thursday, after they were told the news via text message or email while en route to Tanzania to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

And there are concerns for students currently carrying out charity expeditions around the world after trip organiser GBCE Ltd, operating as Student Adventures, ceased trading and cancelled all of its services.

Mount Kilimanjaro: Students were forced to abandon their trip after GBCE Ltd went into administration 

Currently there are students in Tanzania, where they were preparing to scale Africa's tallest mountain, as well as Peru, where they are walking the Inca trail to Machu Picchu.

To ease parents' concerns, GBCE issued a statement through the Nottingham-based business recovery and insolvency team of Smith Cooper, which is handling calls and queries.

The company said: 'GBCE assure parents and guardians that any travellers who are currently "in country" are safe and that arrangements are being made to ensure they are able to return back to the UK as arranged during the time of booking.' 

Students set to depart soon have been told their flights may have been booked but they would be travelling at their own risk because no one would meet them at the airport and accommodations and excursions have not been arranged.

Charities - which could be left millions of pounds out of pocket - and students' unions are urging the students not to travel if they have booked upcoming trips.

And they have said there was no indication the St Albans-based tour operator was in trouble.

Jock Wright, the company's events director, said in a statement: 'We regret to inform all of those who have booked with us that, unless you are informed to the contrary, all trips going forward are cancelled and all reservations are therefore also cancelled.

'We believe that any trips booked before March of this year are covered by its ATOL protection scheme and should be entitled for a full refund.'

The statement said the company is being placed into liquidation 'despite the best efforts' of its directors and stakeholders.

Wright added: 'This is a great shock and extremely disappointing for many students who planned to fundraise for numerous charities.

'However, we will be working with those who had bookings with GBCE to ensure that the necessary support is available to all of those who have been affected.'

University of Portsmouth students are walking the Inca trail on a trip organised by Student Adventures

Jane Futrell, a spokeswoman for the Meningitis Research Foundation, for which students have been raising cash by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, said 29 students who departed the UK earlier this month are safely off the mountain.

She added: 'We did have some students who had been doing the trip and our understanding was that everything was OK.

'Our understanding is they will be coming home and they will be OK.'  

University of Portsmouth students who are currently walking the Inca trail are safe and will continue their charity challenge with no problems, according to UPSU, the university's students' union.

UPSU said it believes the monies raised for the charities are already with the charities.

International development charity Practical Action said it understands the travellers who are currently overseas will continue their trips as scheduled with no changes to their planned itinerary. 

University of Birmingham student Fay Lepley was scheduled to leave for Mount Kilimanjaro with about 30 others next Thursday after nearly a year of planning, but their trip has been scrapped.

The 19-year-old said she has spent up to £2,500 on the trip, including about £1,500 paid directly to Student Adventures, while fundraising for the Meningitis Research Foundation.

She said: 'It's just so infuriating. So many people, my family, put so much into it. Even if I get the money back it doesn't solve anything.' 

Student Adventures takes travellers to places such as the Mount Everest base camp while supporting charities

Danielle Horner, a recent graduate of the University of Portsmouth who was supposed to depart for Mount Kilimanjaro on Tuesday, said she is feeling frustrated because of the confusion.

The 21-year-old said: I'm absolutely gutted. I'm devastated because we've all put in so much hard work, so much time and so much money.'

She managed to raise over £3,000 for Practical Action.

She added: 'I can only hope that the charities are going to get the full amount of money.' 

GCBE was ATOL bonded until the end of March but its licence was not renewed with the Civil Aviation Authority, the Independent reported.

Students who booked before the licence was revoked should be entitled to a refund under the ATOL scheme. They are also being advised to contact their travel insurance provider, bank and credit card company.

Futrell said: 'There is a lot of disappointment. A lot of them have worked extremely hard and we have sympathy for them.

'It's really frustrating for them and a lot of them are upset because they were raising money for charity and they didn't want to let us down.' 

One of the trips takes students to see mountain gorillas in the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda

Student Adventures' excursions include treks to see gorillas in Africa's Rwenzori Mountains, an Arctic adventure and a bike ride from London to Paris.

For years they have acted as a major fundraiser for charities.

Futrell said: 'It's one of our more successful fundraisers. This has been one of the most popular ways for students to raise funds because it challenges them and it is something exciting.'

Meanwhile, phone calls to Student Adventures are being directed to an answering service, and receptionists are referring all callers to Smith Cooper.

In a statement, Michael Roome, Smith Cooper's director of business recovery, said: "GBCE's challenges were perfect for students due to the budget price and the high interest amongst students wanting to travel and try something new.

'Unfortunately budget prices often mean very small margins for companies and unfortunately, in the case of GBCE, these small profit margins ultimately led to the liquidation of the company.'

Student Adventures has not posted any information on its website as of Friday afternoon, and the company's Facebook and Twitter accounts have been deleted.

GBCE (Great Britain Charity Events) was founded in 2007.