Performance Finance complete UK’s highest abseil to raise money for Dentaid
Six intrepid individuals have descended more than 400 feet at the UK’s tallest permanent abseil tower in aid of Dentaid the Dental Charity.
Stacey Wedge, Stefanie Ennis, Pete George, Molly Kempton, Stuart Burn and Lyndsay Dickens braved the country’s biggest drop at the National Lift Tower in Northampton on Saturday 11th October.
The team, of which five are staff members at Performance Finance in Kettering, each lowered themselves down the 17 floors of the building from a height of 127 metres, taller than the height of London’s Elizabeth Tower (which houses Big Ben) and comparable in size to Blackpool Tower.
Funds from the event will support Dentaid’s mission to help those living in under-served communities across the UK receive dental treatment.
The team is also raising money for Vision Care, a charity that allows people experiencing homelessness to safely and comfortably access eye care.
The abseil was timed to co-incide with World Homelessness Day on October 10th.
Stefanie Ennis, marketing manager at Performance Finance, was among those taking part in the abseil and told us the team has already had experience in taking on a number of big fundraising challenges in the past.
She said: “The company has done skydives and firewalks before and things like that and we were looking for something that was both thrill-seeking but worthy of being able to attach some fundraising to. It’s local to from us here in Kettering too.
“We’re a medical finance specialist so everything we do in terms of fundraising is in line with the sectors that we deal with, including local food bank donations in Kettering, fundraising for the Northampton Hope Centre and Glamis Hall for All in Wellingborough. Dentaid and Vision Care’s activities align perfectly with those which made it a very easy choice for fundraising.
“We support local community causes, particularly those around homelessness or those less fortunate, so it’s important that we can increase awareness and support for Dentaid and Vision Care.”
Megan Jackson, Fundraising Officer for Community and Events at Dentaid The Dental Charity, said: “To be able to tackle an abseil of such an enormous height is a hugely daunting experience, so we’re really grateful to the team at Performance Finance for facing down their fears and taking on this challenge.
“The money raised will make a big difference in us being able to support who are most vulnerable and in need of dental care in communities across the UK.
“By bringing our mobile dental units to more places across the country we can help to break down barriers to treatment for thousands of people facing hardship.”
The abseil comes off the back of Dentaid’s first ever charity clinics in Northamptonshire, held at Encompass in Rushden and Corby in September and October in support of people experiencing homelessness and those in recovery from substance abuse.
The team have raised more than £1,000 each for Dentaid and Vision Care so far.
You can donate to Dentaid through the team’s JustGiving page.
To find out more about holding your own event in support of Dentaid, contact our fundraising team at fundraising@dentaid.org or click here.