Abseil at Basingstoke hospital raises £23,000 for Hampshire Hospitals Charity

Christmas came early this Saturday at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital as over 80 people dressed up in red and white to abseil for Hampshire Hospitals Charity.

The fundraiser raised a grand total of £23,125 for the NHS charity which supports hospitals run by Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in Basingstoke, Winchester and Andover.

Across five hours, those dressed as Santa could be seen descending from the top of Basingstoke’s main hospital building which stands at nearly 75 feet high.

The event also saw some supporters get creative in elf, Christmas tree and The Grinch costumes.

Throughout the day, families and friends watched from the ground cheering in support whilst live radio broadcasting kept the energy high with tunes from Hospital Radio Basingstoke.

Amongst those abseiling were Hampshire Hospitals’ chief operating officer Andy Hyett and associate directors of nursing Louise Fox and Katrina Mason who all suited up and got fundraising to support the cause.

Andy Hyett said: “What a fantastic experience and an even better result for our charity. Everyone’s spirits were so high on the day and it was an amazing atmosphere from start to finish.

“I want to say a huge thank you to every single person who got involved, donated or supported in any way. All funds raised for the charity help us to make a huge difference for our patients and their families and you’ve helped us to continue to do that.”

Every pound donated to Hampshire Hospitals Charity is spent on improving, innovating and investing in hospital services to help the trust to provide outstanding care for patients.

The charity has already revealed they will be hosting another festively themed adventure fundraiser for Christmas 2024.

The full photo album can be viewed on the Hampshire Hospitals Charity Facebook page.