A team of brave fundraisers have taken on an 100m abseil down Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower in aid of mental health charity, Solent Mind.
A group of 17 daring individuals completed the epic challenge and raised an impressive £6,250 (not including Gift Aid) for the Hampshire charity, and the money is still rolling in. All harnessed up, the team abseiled down the iconic Portsmouth landmark to cheers from a crowd gathered below.
Steffan Jones, Operations Manager at Shaping Portsmouth, was one of the fearless fundraisers. Individually raising a fantastic £625 for Solent Mind, he said: “Chances are you, or someone you know has or will suffer from mental health issues at some point in their life. I certainly have and I’ve seen other people suffer, losing people to suicide brought on by poor mental wellbeing.
“I wanted to dangle myself off the side of the Spinnaker Tower in support for our partner charity, Solent Mind, who are making sure that anyone with a mental health problem has somewhere to turn to for advice and support.”
Clive Matthews, Account Manager at Insensys Ltd in Fareham, also abseiled on the day, and he said it was an ideal way for him and his colleagues to show support for a worthwhile charity.
He said “We as a company take mental health very seriously, so six of us jumped at the chance to support this fantastic charity. I’ve just abseiled down the Spinnaker Tower – something I thought I’d never do. You’ll never get a rush like it!”
Robert Wayman, Director of Fundraising, External Engagement and IT at Solent Mind, said “This is a spectacular event that our fundraising team arrange every year, and I’m delighted to see how much support we’ve had from willing fundraisers yet again. A big thank you to each of the 17 abseilers. You all were incredible, and we are really grateful for your support. The funds you raised will go towards continuing to support mental health in our communities across the region.”
For anyone wishing to fundraise in aid of Solent Mind, there are many challenges and events that you can sign up to. Find out more at: solentmind.org.uk/support-us/fundraising/challenge.
Solent Mind is looking after mental health across Hampshire, including in Portsmouth specifically via a range of services. For more information, visit solentmind.org.uk/services-in-portsmouth.
