SOUTH Brent polar explorer Antony Jinman has almost reached a fundraising goal to take a group of underprivileged children on the trip of a lifetime.

Antony, the 12th Briton to have skied to both poles, is organising an educational expedition to Lapland in Finland for youngsters from some of Plymouth’s poorest neighbourhoods.

Alongside former Royal Navy officer and explorer Paul Hart, and through their non profit community interest company Education through Expeditions, Antony aims to take a group of Year 5 students from Barne Barton and King’s Tamerton into the Arctic.

Carefully laid financial plans for the expedition took a hit from Brexit, the pair said, with changes to exchange rates leaving a shortfall. So at the start of the year they set up an online appeal on crowdfunder.co.uk to raise £35,000.

The total this week stood at £32,770, just a couple of thousand pounds short of the amount needed to unlock match funding and ensure the expedition can go ahead.

At the heart of the project is the aim of raising aspirations and self confidence - not only in the students involved in the expedition, but in their classmates at Riverside Community Primary School and Marine Academy Plymouth.

ETE will deliver a series of school workshops and outdoor learning sessions, leading up to the overseas trip to a school in Inari, Finland in March with a selected group. The area is home to the Sami people.

The young people on this trip will document their experience online, so their classmates and families back home can follow the expedition. It is ETE’s vision to turn the project into an annual trip, giving an experience to repeat every year.

Antony said: ’Our heart is to help 10 and 11 year olds to develop the skills and self-esteem to continue with their learning and professional development in the future.

’We hope to break the negative cycle in poverty stricken areas by continuing this project in future years, to give as many children as possible an equal opportunity in their education.’

Georgina Branning, Year 5 teacher from Marine Academy Plymouth said: ’The children are excited about expanding their experiences and to look beyond Plymouth. They are keen to learn more about the wildlife in Finland and to see how other children live in a country so different to their own.

’We hope the CrowdFunding project proves a success so this education based experience can take place this year and going forward.’

Paul Hart said: ’We have successfully received funding from The North Yard Community Trust and RBS Skills & Opportunities Fund to work towards making this project a reality.

’Any contributions will be vital in making our project happen and enabling the next generation to be inspired and motivated for their future journey.’

The latest substantial donation came from Plymouth City Council, which has contributed £5,000 to the appeal. For more information or to support the appeal visit www.crowdfunder.co.uk/ete .