On Friday 23 September, the Society will be holding a special event to celebrate 60 years of the Expeditions and Geographical Fieldwork Grant schemes.
First awarded in 1956, the Expeditions and Geographical Fieldwork Grants are the Society’s longest running grant schemes. Over the past 60 years, they have supported over 2,000 fieldwork projects in over 150 countries, directly involving more than 11,500 individuals. Today, they continue to support overseas field research and expeditions that advance geographical knowledge, helping upwards of 20 teams of students and researchers get into the field every year.
To mark the 60th anniversary of the grants, the Society is holding a special celebration, which will provide a chance for past recipients to reunite with former team members and share how the Society’s grants programme has provided life-changing experiences for so many people.
Sir Ranulph Fiennes, former recipient of three Expeditions Grants, will host three speakers, all of whom are previous Expeditions and Geographical Fieldwork grant recipients. Alun Hubbard, geographer, will take attendees on a journey to the glaciers he has studied in Greenland. Rosie Trevelyan, zoologist, will talk of her expedition to the Seychelles, and Andy Eavis, explorer and caver, will present highlights from his underground expeditions. It promises to be a wonderful celebration full of remarkable stories and equally remarkable people
If you are a past grant recipient and would like to attend the celebration, please contact us at grants60@rgs.org. You can also reconnect with former team members and share stories from your expeditions and fieldwork through the event Facebook page.
The grants, and the expeditions and fieldwork they support, change lives, advance knowledge, and help develop careers. To enable the grants programme to go from strength to strength, the Society has an Appeal to raise funds to support it. If you are in a position to help with a donation – whether modest or larger – the Society would be very grateful indeed. Further details can be found on the website (www.rgs.org/supportus).