A group of Dundee medical students is travelling the equivalent distance from the city to the South Pole to raise money to help older people.
The group of Dundee University students has been inspired by the city’s connection with penguins, which live on the Antarctic coast, to take on the physical feat.
More than 200 have signed up to collectively walk, run and cycle the 16,292km distance from Dundee to the South Pole to raise funds for Age Scotland.
Leader Freya Anderson said her colleagues wanted to find a way to bring together students in isolation at the same time as raising money for an important cause.
She said: “Last week a few of us found ourselves feeling a little lost in self-study at home, and so we got our heads together to think of something fun that would give students a sense of togetherness.
“We thought a fundraiser would be a fun challenge, and also give us a reason to keep active during lockdown.
“Working with Age Scotland has been great as their values align with our ethos of encouraging support by a sense of togetherness, as so many students are not currently in Dundee.
“We have already covered 2751km so it would be fantastic if people could join us to help reach the finish line.”
Age Scotland is a national charity that works with local communities to offer support and help to people over 50 to combat isolation and loneliness.
The charity’s chief executive Brian Sloan said: “We’re so grateful to the Dundee Medical School Societies for the tremendous effort in their South Pole challenge.
“We at Age Scotland have been really enjoying following the team’s journey each day.
“This is an amazing way to keep up community spirit during lockdown, which we know is proving extremely challenging for tens of thousands of older people in Scotland who are feeling anxious, isolated and lonely.
“Our free helpline has seen an unprecedented surge in calls from people looking for advice and information, or just a friendly chat.
“The vital funds raised from through this challenge will help make sure we can be there for every older person who needs us.
“I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to all involved for helping older people at such a critical time.
“Congratulations on the progress so far and we wish the students all the best in completing this monumental challenge,” he added.
