AN adventurous group is hoping to raise enough money to send 30 volunteers to Borneo on a special expedition.

The sum of £60,000 is needed to take the Duke of Edinburgh Award young people on the trip, which will mark the 50th anniversary of the scheme.

Herefordshire Council, which holds the county licence for the award, offers advice and support to its 18 active groups, 48 among organisations and the expedition group.

Twenty-three young people and seven adults have spent the last 15 months holding cake sales, coffee mornings, race nights, sponsored walks and bag-packing ventures to raise the £2,000 each required to take part in the expedition.

They have until the end of May to raise the final £7,200.

The expedition will last for three weeks and take the young adventurers to live in a village community and complete an irrigation project before spending 10 days in the tropical rainforest living alongside snakes, spiders, mosquitoes and other insects.

They will complete their expedition by attempting to climb the highest mountain in South-East Asia.

Assistant youth service manager Andy Preedy said: "The fund-raising element is part of the plan and will carry on until the end of May. Everyone has worked really hard on this project, and I'm sure targets will be met.

"We've been meeting to plan and train for this expedition for weeks. We've been learning about living in a jungle. Little things, such as remembering to check your boots for creepy crawlies or snakes before putting them on, can be fundamental to your survival."

Mr Preedy said the expedition would be a life-changing experience for the volunteers.