A small team of Richmond volunteers are going to Iceland to take part in a charity challenge.

The volunteers from Richmond Talking Newspaper are raising funds for new recording equipment. RTN is a source of local news for the blind and partially sighted.

This September, they will be embarking on a 50 KM hike on Iceland’s Atlantic ridge. The hike will take four days and the volunteers will be camping under the Northern Lights.

The team will be led by Iceland expert Julia Jones, who said: “Iceland is sparsely populated. Most people live around the edges. The centre where we will be is empty.

“There will be no cars, no road, no electricity cables no mechanical sounds just us and nature.

The terrain the group will be covering will be hard and element could be a factor in their challenge. Temperatures are not particularly low in September. Hikers can expect run rain and wind, with temperatures dropping to 0°C.

“We’ll eat well, see beautiful scenery and enjoy Icelandic hospitality. September is Northern lights season, so without light pollution the sightings of this magnificent spectacle will be possible,” Julia added.

One of the volunteers, Valerie Munro, said: “This challenge gives us the opportunity to raise some much-needed funds for some new recording equipment for RTN.

“We converted to digital recording around 7 years ago, but some of our original devices are beginning to creak. We would like to replace our mixing unit and also invest in a new high speed duplicating system for USB memory sticks.”

Its first recorded edition was on St Georges Day in 1979, and since then it has produced 50 editions a year.

A link to the fundraising page can be found here: https://www.jumblebee.co.uk/icelandhikingchallengesept8132018

Or else send a cheque payable to RTN, c/o 7 Erncroft Way, Twickenham, TW1 1DA