Nominated by teachers, social workers, police officers, parents, guardians and friends from across the UK, those chosen to participate in the adventure have been busy in their local communities over
the last few months, working on ‘pay it forward’ environmental projects to ensure that not only they benefit from taking part in the expedition. From beach cleans to recycling schemes, re-wilding
projects and taking a school to Green Flag status, the young explorers will get to see how the initiatives they will work on at home are integral to protecting Antarctica and beyond.
The explorers embarking on the adventure of a lifetime are (www.teamwetwo.com/the-team):
• Oli Bradshaw, North Devon
• Reo Christopher, Birmingham
• Aoibh Bradley, Belfast, Northern Ireland
• Ellese Brooklyn Owen, Nottingham
• Allison Ciszynska, Llanelli, Wales
• Raff Mathews, Clacton-on-Sea, Essex
• Owen Jones, Merseyside
• Melos Krasniqi, Ladbroke Grove, London
• Malaki Morgan-Richards, Wood Green London
• Daniel Ward, Carstairs, Scotland
The entire expedition is carbon neutral – with the team meeting on November 4 th at Scouts HQ, Gilwell Park, to plant a forest of over 100 native trees to offset carbon produced through flying to the start. All the kit they will wear, made especially by Craghoppers, is made from recycled plastic bottles and dyed using sustainable chemical-free practices. They will travel to Antarctica with Hurtigruten Expeditions on their hybrid ship – named the world’s most sustainable expedition vessel (by Scope ESG) and once onboard be taking part in real-time climate science, collecting samples and undertaking wildlife surveys as well as trying snowshoeing, kayaking, camping on ice and swimming in the Southern Ocean. The idea is that they will become ambassadors in their communities – some of the most deprived areas in Britain – for responsible adventuring and prove that anyone can be an explorer and make a difference. When they return, they will be mentored to ensure their new skills help bolster their CVs so that they have the best chance of getting employment and/or applying for further education.
The trip has captured the attention and support from stars including actress Golda Rosheuvel, actor David Harewood, comedian Jason Manford, sports and tv presenter Chris Kamara, Michelin award
winning Chef Jean Christophe Novelli and more.
“From over 700 nominations, we had the unenviable task of whittling them down to the final 10. It was not easy, but we are confident that the young people we have chosen will help us plant the seedsof change in their communities – and beyond. The ideas that they have implemented for improving their local communities in their ‘pay it forward’ pledges shows that this generation truly cares about making a positive change in their environment, and we can’t wait for them to see firsthand how important their work in their communities is for driving real change on the other side of the world.”
said Phoebe Smith and Dwayne Fields, co-founders of the #WeTwo Foundation.
Anthony Daniels, General Manager UK and EMEA at Hurtigruten Expeditions, said, “It’s incredible to see the dedication of every entrant towards sustainability. You can truly see their passion to positively impact their local environment. We can’t wait for all these young explorers to join us onboard the MS Fridtjof Nansen, and with the help of our onboard Scientists and Expedition Team, realise how the actions in their local community will help to protect the world for the next
generation.”
The #WeTwo Foundation was set up by adventurers Phoebe Smith and Dwayne Fields who have both been working for the past 10+ years to change the face of adventure and encourage the next generation, from all walks of life, to fall in love with the outdoors and look after our planet.
The young explorers will set off on their adventure on 6 November 2022 and return on 21 November
2022.
For more information about the #WeTwo Foundation visit https://www.teamwetwo.com/
