Arctic adventure beckons for Herm teenager

HERM teenager Richard Bailey has been selected to take part in a trip to the Arctic next summer to work on scientific research such as glaciology, geology, hydrology, meteorology and snow science.

'My expedition is with a charity called the British Schools Exploring Society,' said Richard. 'It will take place on the islands of Svalbard, which are located deep in the Arctic Circle. Part of the expedition will be adventurous, while the other part will be made up of scientific research into topics like measuring the movement of the glaciers.'

Svalbard - meaning 'Cold Coast' - is made up of several islands, covered mostly by glaciers and ice sheets. Despite the hostile conditions, there are many species of plants and birds and mammals such as the walrus, the beluga whale and the polar bear. In fact, if you sponsor polar bears through the WWF, it is the Svalbard bears that you support.

The group of students will arrive in the Arctic in temperatures of around -4C. In July, the sun never sets so they will experience 24-hour daylight.

Richard, 16, has lived in Herm since he was just a baby, along with older siblings Jonathan and Kathryn. His dad, Andrew, is the island accountant and financial director and mum Lesley does many jobs, including her role as PR person and running the island website.

Richard is in the sixth form at Elizabeth College. Last year he achieved an impressive 11 GCSEs, including chemistry, physics, biology and geography. All were A or A* grades.

'For my fund-raising, I have organised a curry night and I have made marmalade, which I hope to sell through local businesses and at the Guernsey farmers' market,' said Richard.

With the Mermaid Tavern closed for the month, he invited islanders to a fund-raising dinner at his house. Almost the whole population gathered in Forge Cottage for curry, followed by brownies and ice cream.

He will also be approaching local businesses over the next few months. Any donations, however small, would be much appreciated and can be left at the Herm reservations office.