Sir Ranulph Fiennes opens Rodbaston college centre

Adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes officially opened a £3.5 million college centre in Staffordshire and talked to students about his achievements.

The 68 year-old, who has been hailed as the world's greatest living explorer, hosted a talk to more than 150 students and held a question and answer session at South Staffordshire College yesterday.

The aim was to help motivate and inspire young people at the Rodbaston campus in Penkridge to follow their dreams and never give up.

Sir Ranulph, who was in the SAS, becoming the youngest captain in the British Army, has been at the forefront of exploratory exhibitions for decades.

He was the first person to visit both the North and South Poles by surface means and the first to completely cross Antarctica on foot. Three years ago, at the age of 65, he climbed to the summit of Mount Everest.

He praised the college during his visit, which saw him officially launch the Foster Learning Centre, which is named after former governor and chairman Dennis Foster.