Look To The Stars News: Ranulph Fiennes

TV Star Reaches South Pole For Charity

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:35:00 +0000

British TV presenter Helen Skelton has arrived at the South Pole and completed her grueling 500 mile expedition across Antarctica for Sport Relief – as a result she has become the first person to use a bike as part of an expedition to the South Pole.

Despite having to battle severe snow storms, temperatures as low as – 48 degrees Celsius, numerous blisters, a hacking cough, ongoing tummy troubles and a bad bout of dehydration, Helen covered 500 Antarctic miles in just 18 days by ski, by kite and in a world first by bike. When Helen arrived at the South Pole she celebrated by proudly staking her flag in the frozen ground to mark the end of her incredible journey.

Upon arriving at the South Pole, Helen Skelton said: “This has been a massive adventure and at times it felt like it was never going to end. My body hurts in so many different places, mentally I’m exhausted and I’ve only washed once in the last 30 days, so to be finally standing at the pole feels incredible. I’ve seen how Sport Relief money makes a big difference and that’s why I can’t complain about any part of this because it’s nothing compared to what some people go through every day of their lives.”

Helen Skelton's Charity Polar Challenge To Hit TV Screens

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:45:00 +0000

A special nine-week Blue Peter series, starting on Monday 23rd January at 4.30pm on BBC One, follows fearless Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton’s progress as she sets out to complete a gruelling 500 mile challenge to the South Pole for Sport Relief 2012.

Helen’s Polar Challenge for Sport Relief sees the daredevil presenter take on the toughest adventure of her life – and one of the most demanding physical challenges ever undertaken in aid of Sport Relief. To reach the South Pole, Helen must travel for up to 14 hours a day across the coldest and windiest place on earth, battling ferocious 80mph winds and temperatures as low as -50 degrees Celsius.

Before landing in Antarctica, Helen spends months preparing for her challenge. First she learns about Roald Amundsen’s and Captain Scott’s treacherous race to the South Pole 100 years ago and meets Britain’s most famous explorer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes. ‘Super Skelton’ then has to master the three means of transport that she will use to power herself to the pole – ski, kite-ski and – in a world first – by a specially made snow bike. Helen learns to kite surf in Devon, travels to LA to practise on the specially designed bike on sand, learns how to cross-country ski and kite ski in New Zealand and finally, undergoes cold climate training in Iceland.

TV Presenter To Bike To South Pole For Charity

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 13:30:00 +0000

British TV presenter Helen Skelton is in Antarctica preparing for an usual feat of courage and daring in the name of charity – she hopes to be the first person to bike to the South Pole.

The Blue Peter presenter is raising money for Sport Relief, and will face a multitude of extreme temperatures in her grueling 500 mile journey, using skis, kites and, of course, her bike.

Helen will travel up to 14 hours a day across the coldest and windiest place on earth, battling blizzards and sub-zero temperatures.

Lennox, Fiennes and Dench Strive to Save the UK's Forests

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 13:30:00 +0000

The Sunday Telegraph has published a letter signed by nearly 100 dignitaries speaking out against the announcement to sell off 15 percent of the government’s forests.

Save England’s Forests, a new campaign group, has gained the support of signatories Annie Lennox, Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Bill Bryson.

Bryson, who sits as president of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), recently supported the CPRE’s Gloucestershire branch in questioning proposal’s to sell land in the Forest of Dean. They are calling for the forest to be protected as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

JustGiving.com Announces Top Celebrity Charity Fundraisers

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:00:00 +0000

JustGiving.com has released the results of a survey into the top celebrity fundraisers in the UK.

Adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes – who has raised over £2.5 million for Marie Curie Cancer Care over the past two years – came out in top place in the report. Other stars to feature include Little Britain star David Walliams and his wife, Lara Stone, as well as singer Katherine Jenkins, rugby star Lawrence Dallaglio and Dragon’s Den star Peter Jones.

The survey is based on an analysis of total funds raised from January 2009 to December 2010.

Stars Back Phil Packer's British Inspiration Trust

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Many people may not have heard of Phil Packer, but he is a man with a mission. After sustaining a spinal cord injury a few years ago, Phil has continued to inspire millions of people, especially young people, face adversity.

“I was injured and paralysed in 2008 and since then have turned my life towards supporting Young People,” says Phil. "My vision is the British Inspiration Trust, and I am calling on Inspirational Figures from every sector of society to join me as BRIT Mentors and share their gift of inspiration to Young People facing Adversity.

“My aim is to be a charity for charities and act as a deliverer of inspiration and am attracting Inspirational Figures. I am at the beginning of this journey and I hope to link these figures with one common aim and to do it together.”

Leap Anywhere For Celebrity Charity Events

Thu, 24 Jun 2010 11:30:00 +0000

Leap Anywhere – the home of doing good, having fun and getting rewarded – is the place to go if you are looking for charity events around the world.

With the help of 350+ charity partners, Leap Anywhere searches night and day to find and recommend fun, hassle-free charity events and volunteering activities in your area, for you to attend, support and enjoy.

So how does it work? Like this: Just pick an event you’d like to attend, invite friends to join you (via Facebook and Twitter), keep an eye on what causes your friends are supporting, and get rewarded multitudinously for doing good.

Darth Vader Brings The Dark Side To Charity Initiative

Fri, 14 May 2010 12:30:00 +0000

David Prowse – the actor best known for playing Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy – and adventurer Ranulph Fiennes are among a group of British celebrities who have created portraits of themselves to raise money for ActionAid.

The portraits – along with those created by the general public – will eventually be put together to form a huge mosaic of a girl from Uganda called Enid, who represents the 72 million children who can’t go to school because of poverty.

“Every now and again a good cause comes along that could do with a little help from the dark side,” said David.

JK Rowling And Stephenie Meyer Sign Books For Charity

Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Signed books by JK Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, Jenson Button, Richard Branson, Ricky Gervais, Michael Parkinson and many more are going under the hammer for charity thanks to the work of a man from Bristol, UK.

Grant Thompson has been collecting the autographed books from celebrities for the last two years, and is now selling them for a local MS charity.

“JK Rowling was my first book which [then] got me started from there,” Thompson told the BBC. “Originally I was trying to keep everything Bristol-based and I knew JK Rowling lived outside Bristol. Also her mum had MS as well, so it started with that really.”

Lily Cole Leads Celebrity Charity Auction

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:00:00 +0000

As reported by Look To The Stars earlier this month, environmental media charity tve is currently running an auction featuring a plethora of celebrity items.

A dress worn by Lily Cole is the most sought after item to date in an eclectic eBay auction Bid for the future. With less than 4 days to go, the stunning Juicy Couture dress already has the top number of bids in the auction. Other celebrity donations are proving irresistible stocking fillers with Sir David Attenborough’s specially signed book topping the list, followed closely by Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Stephen Fry.

For those readers with a passion for crime novels, there’s a chance to bid for a first edition travel book by prolific author John Creasey and the invitation to have lunch with his son Richard, Chair of tve, at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).

Stars Write Letters To Themselves For Charity Book

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:30:00 +0000

If you were to write a letter to your 16-year-old self, what would it say?

In the new book Dear Me, some of the world’s best loved personalities have written just such a letter. Their letters range from the compassionate, to the shocking via hilarity and heartbreak – but they all have one thing in common: they offer a unique glimpse at the teenager who grew up to be a house-hold name.

£1 from each copy sold will be given to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Celebrities Donate Items To Environmental Charity Auction

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

This year TVE marks its 25th anniversary as an award-winning media charity making films on the environment and development. And to celebrate, they have launched an amazing online auction.

Founded by WWF, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP} and Central Television in 1984, its original advisory panel included Sir David Attenborough, the Aga Khan and Dr Mostafa Tolba, head of the UN Environment Programme. Today tve films are broadcast in 172 countries, reaching 302 million homes via global satellite broadcasts and more than half a billion people on national, regional and local channels worldwide.

The auction launches on Thursday and includes an incredible array of items. Going under the hammer are a copy of Stephen Fry in America signed by Britain’s best-loved comic genius; a signed copy of designer, writer and television presenter Kevin McCloud’s Colour Now – to help you with those interior design challenges; the top worn by one of Britain’s most gifted actors, Emma Thompson, in the 1994 Hollywood comedy ‘Junior’; a signed copy of Sir David Attenborough’s Life on Air, telling the story of how he became Britain’s best-loved nature journalist, a signed copy of ‘Race to the Pole’, the story of Scott’s quest written by the man described as the world’s greatest living adventurer, Sir Ranulph Fiennes; a copy of ‘Trowel and Error’, signed by Britain’s favourite television gardener and presenter Alan Titchmarsh; items from actress Lily Cole; and much much more.

Stars Sign Mini For British Forces Morale

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:30:00 +0000

A car signed by some of Britain’s favorite stars will go up for auction at Bonhams Auction House tonight, July 3, to raise money for the British Forces Foundation’s Lap of Honour charity, which aims to boost morale in Britiain’s Armed Forces.

For the last year, the Mini cooper – adorned with a Union Jack on the roof – has been traveling around Britain, gathering autographs from well-known faces such as Michael Caine, Richard Branson, Sienna Miller, Simon Cowell, Terry Wogan, Joan Collins, Roger Moore, Michael Parkinson, Cliff Richard, Ranulph Fiennes, Tom Jones, Hugh Grant, Judi Dench, James Blunt, Katherine Jenkins, Jackie Stewart, Rod Stewart, Lewis Hamilton, Kate Moss, Joe Calzaghe, Elton John, David Beckham, Magaret Thatcher, Eric Clapton, Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, Joanna Lumley, Helen Mirren, Gordon Brown, Paul McCartney and many more.

“This fantastic car has been on an amazing journey during our tenth anniversary year,” said Mark Cann, director of the BFF. “It will be a unique addition to any car collection and we’re delighted that Bonhams offered so generously to help us achieve the best bid and raise as much money as we can. The very act of demonstrating support will send a clear message of solidarity to those on the frontline, which will in itself be a significant boost to their morale.”

British Celebrities Doodle For Charity

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:30:00 +0000

A variety of British celebrities have completed unique drawings to raise awareness of a charity committed to helping the most vulnerable children and young people in the UK break through injustice, deprivation and inequality, so they can achieve their full potential.

The Celebrity Journeys campaign asked stars to illustrate “the start and end of a personal transformation in their lives in a single, unbroken line”. The drawings are currently appearing on an online gallery for Action for Children.

Stars who have taken up the challenge include Rod Stewart, Joanna Lumley, Gemma Atkinson, Ranulph Fiennes, Jo Brand, Robbie Coltrane, Ronnie Corbett, Esther Rantzen, Alexi Sayle, Brian Blessed, Vanessa Mae, Peter Davison, Kim Wilde, Ben Elton, Amir Khan, and many more.

Ranulph Fiennes Summits Everest For Charity

Thu, 28 May 2009 11:30:00 +0000

British adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes conquered Mount Everest in support of Marie Curie Cancer Care last week, a year after he was forced to abandon an attempt on the mountain.

The world-famous explorer reached the summit shortly before 1 am on Thursday May 21, despite having previously declared “no more mountains”.

He’s not stopping there – his mission now is to smash the £3 million target he set last year to support Marie Curie Nurses, giving more terminally ill patients the choice to die at home, surrounded by their families.

Fiennes Charity Everest Trek in Jeopardy

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 11:20:16 +0000

Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ bid to summit Mount Everest in May as a fundraiser for a British cancer care charity has been put into jeopardy after Nepal acceded to Chinese demands to close the south side of the mountain.

The 64-year-old adventurer was due to leave for Nepal in April as part of the “Conquer Your Own Everest” campaign, and his summit attempt aimed to raise at least $4 million for Marie Curie Cancer Care.

But China is paranoid that climbers will use their summit attempts to protest over the hosting of the 2008 Olympic Games, especially after recent massacres in Tibet.