The Shackleton Foundation is a new charitable trust.
Sir Ernest Shackleton is widely known as one of the most inspirational leaders of the twentieth century.
Whilst he never achieved his personal dream of being the first to reach the South Pole, his reputation as a leader of men is based on a still greater success: the survival and safe return of all of his team members, whilst overcoming almost unimaginable odds. Shackleton's name lives on as a synonym for courage, bravery and most of all, leadership.
Shackleton's era of heroic exploration is now long gone. However, The Shackleton Foundation believes innumerable and significant challenges still exist where the rallying power and indomitable spirit of Shackleton is needed, in order to make a tangible contribution to the greater good.
Thomas Pynchon wrote "Everyone has an Antarctic". The Foundation exists to support and encourage people who may not otherwise have the opportunity to identify and cross their own Antarctic, particularly where the applicant's chosen project can be shown to directly benefit the less advantaged. Whilst we support projects within and outside the physical arena, it is evidence of Shackleton's spirit that we seek.
We believe that singular people making singular contributions to the public good can act as beacons of inspiration, and we wish to support them in their endeavours.
The Foundation hopes that beneficiaries will develop or possess the personal qualities that define leadership: a fierce personal commitment to succeed, a willingness to take intelligent risks, and the ability to inspire and energise those around them to do their utmost towards worthwhile causes.
Click here to watch a short film by Bill Shipton, a member of our Fundraising Committe describing in greater detail what we're doing, where we're going, and why we're doing it.
For more information about the Shackleton Foundation, please go to our sister website www.shackletonfoundation.org
We sought an idea to capture the imagination of the public, an idea to match our ambition. We further sought a project that would make a significant contribution to our funding goal of £10M, and thereby place the Foundation on a sound footing for the future.
In short, we needed money, awareness... and a big idea, to feed our bigger idea.
We are now pleased to announce our answer.
In 2008, we will go back to where the business started.
To Antarctica.
We will send a team of descendents of the original Nimrod Expedition team to finish the task Shackleton and his men set out to achieve, one hundred years (to the day) later.
On our first mission, we intend to set down a marker. We honour the courage and determination of our forefathers, who struggled in the Polar storms at the dawn of the last century, and whose efforts inspire us to return to the ice. We will conquer the Pole, on foot. We will take the route taken in 1908, and we will complete the mission.
The Foundation will continue to nurture that spirit in those we support next, whatever their field of endeavour.
The Shackleton name is known worldwide.
After a recent surge in interest by film-makers, documentarists and writers, the profile of one of Britain's greatest explorers continues to grow: inspirational as a leader, aspirational as a hero.
Feature films, TV dramas and globally successful books have cemented the reputation of Shackleton as the man to have with you in a crisis, and a powerful example of unflinching determination and selfless team-building, for business-people and explorers alike.
The Shackleton Foundation, the new charitable trust behind this unique and unprecedented adventure, now seeks a limited number of bold organisations to become Founder Members.
We expect Founder Members to gain continuing benefit in these areas:
Identification with the Shackleton name, through a Foundation dedicated to bold and innovative charitable initiatives.
Opportunities to use examples of Foundation activities to underscore your company's values, internally and externally.
Active participation in selecting projects for support by the Foundation.
During 2008/2009
Acknowledgment and exposure from global coverage comprising: Foundation literature, national press & radio, television, daily web feeds live from Antarctica , educational and schools links.
We're going to the South Pole. Will you join us?
The Lost Men