News

Gull lab intern Bea Edwards, aged 18 from Cambridge, is gearing up for a polar expedition in April 2017 to raise funds for bullying rehabilitation charity Red Balloon.

Bea’s challenge to walk the last degree to the North Pole comes in the wake of her expedition to the South Pole last year that raised £15,000 for the charity.  She was the third youngest person in the world to have made the journey. 

Motivation comes from Bea personally suffering severe bullying at school and being a former student at a Red Ballon Learner Centre following a period of self exclusion from mainstream education.

Bea said: “Walking the last degree to the North Pole will be a huge challenge with several dangers, the cold, fragile ice and polar bears are just some examples. In recognition of the severity of the challenge I hope I get a lot of sponsorship, the cause is so important to me. It sounds a cliché but I would never have got to where I am today without Red Ballon’s support. Their support not only with academic study but, more importantly, with mental health and well being turned my life around.”  

Professor Gull commented: “She is a remarkable young woman and a seriously good young scientist. She has been with us for six months and has produced a great set of results – as well as learning how scientific research works. Her polar expedition is for a great cause and I and the entire Dunn School community fully support her fundraising efforts.”

Professor Gull has personally contacted a number of suppliers of equipment and consumables to the department to help sponsor Bea. A raffle and cake sale are also planned prior to Bea leaving the Dunn School at the end of March.

Following her arctic adventure Bea will be studying biology at the Royal Veterinary College, University of London starting in the Autumn.

• Find out more about Bea’s second polar expedition.
• To sponsor Bea visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/beanorth
• To follow Bea, please visit: beansonline.blog