Sheffield Haworth today announced that it would be sponsoring the forthcoming Shackleton Centenary expedition to the Antarctic.

Ernest Shackleton returned to Britain from Captain Scott's Discovery Expedition of 1903 determined to mount his own assault on the unclaimed South Pole and did so in 1908-1909 with his team of Frank Wild, Eric Marshall and Jameson Boyd Adams.

In 2008-09 a team of direct  descendants to those from the 1909 Nimrod Expedition will journey over 900 miles to commemorate its 100th anniversary.

The original team got to within ninety-seven miles of the Pole before being forced back: the team hope to reach the same point and then continue on and finish what their forefathers began.

All sponsorship and fundraising will go towards establishing a new charitable trust to be called The Shackleton Foundation and in doing so, honour the original crew and celebrate their pioneering spirit.

For more details on the Shackleton Expedition and the Shackleton Foundation please visit www.shackletoncentenary.org