Sir Chris Bonington: honorary life president

Britain’s elder statesman of mountaineering will join a South Pole adventurer in a special event later this month to raise money for a campaign group.

Sir Chris Bonington and Ben Fogle will share his personal experiences in a conversation with BBC Radio 4 presenter Libby Purves. Explorer and broadcaster Ben Fogle will also give an account of his adventures.

Ben Fogle with his dog Inca

Proceeds from the event, at the Royal Geographical Society’s base in South Kensington, will go to the Campaign for National Parks. The evening, on 31 March, will be hosted by Libby Purves and organisers say the men will reflect on how their early experiences in the British countryside generated a spirit of exploration that has seen them succeed in the most challenging places on earth.

Ben Fogle is chair of the Campaign for National Parks and has been active in promoting the Mosaic scheme to encourage Britain’s ethnic minorities to use the parks. Sir Chris is honorary life president of the CNP.

The cost of the evening is £10, and the event starts at 7pm. Details are on the CNP website.