ISCE and British Services- mutually supporting efforts!

Antony Jinman, the leader of The International Scott Centenary Expedition (2012)

and

Lt. Cdr. Paul Hart, RN, Deputy Leader of the British Services Antarctic Expedition (2012) 'In the Spirit of Scott'

made the following joint statement today:

"The International Scott Centenary Expedition (ISCE) and the British Services Antarctica Expedition (BSAE) are now working as interlinked and mutually supportive expeditions. It is our intention to promote the ideals, values and ethos of Scott's 1910-1913 expedition. We will do this by linking our science and education activities through the outreach programme to inform and educate the British public about the Polar regions and the factors influencing them. We will seek to operate in the 'Spirit of Scott' and further the bounds of human exploration and knowledge in an ecological and ethical manner. We will also seek to celebrate the 100th Anniversary event of Scott and his team reaching the South Pole and commemorate their tragic deaths on their return journey."

This is a hugely exciting development for both expeditions, bringing together the strengths of each to make for an even more effective commemoration of the Captain Scott centenary.

So many expeditions are 'racing for the Pole' to mark the centenary in the mistaken belief that this is what Captain Scott's expedition was about. It was not; the myth of the race to the Pole is fundamentally bad history. Scott's effort focused on science, exploration and education, the three core values which both these centenary expeditions seek to promote. Together, we will work to promote Scott's continuing legacy of science and exploration into schools and to the wider public, ensuring that the centenary is truly celebrated, 'In the spirit of Scott'.