After Royal encounters, runways that split in two and blizzards that seemed determined prevent our intrepid doctor from even BEGINNING his trip across the frozen Arctic Ocean to the North Pole, everything fell in to place!
After a catching a lift from an old Soviet helicopter with the rest of the team, Dr. Joe Geraghty (wrapped in his section of Infi-Knit scarf) began his trek across the ice and snow towards the very top of the world. Dragging his supplies behind him progress, was relatively swift. Fueled by high calorie rations and at least five chocolate bars a day (each!) the team managed to cover about 8miles in every six hour leg, which is pretty quick for a north pole expedition.
While is it very important to keep warm and active in the Arctic, it can be even more of a problem for people affected by cancer; 59% of people affected by cancer spoken to by Macmillan said that they had used more fuel since they had been diagnosed with cancer. Three quarters said it was because they felt the affects of cold more, and almost as many said that they found themselves having to stay home more, and use more energy.
The Infi-Knit scarf kept Joe warm while he walked across the ice, but the fuel poverty campaign serves a much more important purpose. Energy prices are set to rise over the next few years, in 2009 a typical duel-fuel energy bill was £1200 pa. but Ofgem (the Office for Gas and Electricity Markets) who are responsible for keeping an eye on energy suppliers have estimated that this will increase by at least £100 and maybe as much as £600 by 2020. The situation looks set only to get worse.
After days of gruelling slog in temperatures well in to the minus 20s and 30s (and with a little help from the fact that the whole of the Arctic ice sheet was moving underneath them, and in the right direction!) Joe and the team finally made it to the geographic north pole, Infi-Knit was literally on top of the world!
The next step is altogether more difficult, as Infi-Knit will be taken on a journey to the government, to try and convince them to stop ignoring the needs of people affected by cancer who are vulnerable to fuel poverty and give them the support and help they need to keep warm without worry. Stay tuned!
