Abseilers make it best fundraiser yet
Daredevils aged 14 to 72 collect £25,000
Charities are set to benefit to the tune of £25,000 after the most successful KM Maidstone Abseil Challenge ever.
The annual abseil at Golding Homes’ Midhurst Court, Maidstone, on Sunday attracted a record 130 participants, who raised money for 30 good causes.
Midhurst Court tenant Dawn Harris took part to raise awareness for Re-Solv, a charity which raises awareness for substance abuse. Her son died aged 15 after sniffing solvents for recreation, now she campaigns to raise awareness and used the abseil to raise funds to support the project.
The abseil is the most financially successful in the history of the KM Charity Team, which stages a number of collaborative fundraisers.
Charities from every corner of the county were involved including Age UK branches in Thanet and Maidstone, the Heart of Kent Hospice, Macmillan Cancer Sup- port, Catching Lives, Bechange, Porchlight, East Kent Mencap and the Kent Messenger’s charity of the year, Dandelion Time.
The highest individual fundraiser was Rachel Curley, from Maidstone, who raised £1,290 for Cancer Research UK, while the team from Swale Action to End Domestic Abuse was the group that made the most, raising £1,495.
Valerie Watkins, from Canterbury, was the oldest participant at 72. She raised £820 for Catching Lives, which supports homeless people.
The youngest was 14-year-old Molly Godden, of Herne Bay, who raised £145 for Great Ormond Street Hospital.
The best fancy dress was worn by 16-year-old Ethan Williams of Sandwich who donned a Spiderman outfit and raised £160 for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
Simon Dolby from the KM Charity Team, which staged the event, thanked sponsors including Day, Smith Hunter chartered accountants and business advisers, social housing landlord Golding Homes and P&M Scaffolding.
The next KM challenge will be the charity walk on Sunday, June 26. Visit www.kmcharitywalk.co.uk to find out more or book tickets, using discount code CHARITY16.