Abseilers brave 100ft drop for St Catherine's Hospice

Almost 100 brave supporters took on an adrenaline pumping, 100ft abseil down the outside of the Sandman Signature hotel in Crawley.

Their challenge was made even more special as it took place during National Hospice Care Week, which celebrates the work of local hospices across the UK.

On Friday, local businesses swapped their office suits for a wide array of Superhero costumes, from Harry Potter, to Iron Man and Cat Woman. Amongst them was Kelly Ranson from the Travelopia corporate team.

She said: “I’d been looking forward to the abseil for weeks, it was all we could talk about in the office, but I had no idea what it would actually be like. I really felt like a superhero as I went over the edge of the building, particularly as I knew that my colleagues and I were all helping St Catherine’s look after people with a terminal illness.

“The Superhero Abseil was a fantastic experience, I can’t wait to take on another challenge for St Catherine’s.”

St Catherine’s staff also took on the challenge. Five employees from hospice wide departments, including Nursing, Front of House Services, Housekeeping, and Human Resources went over the edge to raise funds.

Team member Wayne Stepney said: “What an amazing experience! I was a bit shaky at first but at last I got going. The team from Over the Edge gave me great support and words of encouragement to calm my nerves and hearing my family, friends and work colleagues shouting ‘come on Dad/Wayne’, and more importantly remembering why I took on this challenge - to get over my fear of heights and to raise money so our hospice can continue to provide outstanding care gave me my final motivation. I’d encourage anyone to take on a challenge like this. You’re not alone and it’s great fun.”

Michaela Clements, events fundraiser at St Catherine’s said: “It was fantastic to see so many supporters step up and over the edge to support their local hospice. Our abseil’s on track to raise £25,000, so the efforts of all our Superheroes will make a real difference to local people who need our expert end of life care. We’d like to thank everyone who took part and the Sandman Signature Hotel for hosting our exciting challenge.”

To find out more about how you can support St Catherine’s in future challenges, call the Events Team on 01293 447355 or email [email protected]