Over 100 NHS staff, volunteers and members of the local community abseiled down the side of Tunbridge Wells Hospital on Saturday 19 October in aid of Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) Hospitals Charity.

Those taking on the challenge included volunteer Kate Hart Dyke, who was cared for by the Trust’s Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy teams following a life changing brain haemorrhage, along with staff from departments including Oncology, Pharmacy, Ophthalmology, Theatres and Orthopaedics.

The event has so far raised over £40,000 (inc, Gift Aid) for the charity and donations are still being welcomed.

MTW Hospitals Charity supports Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust (MTW) by funding additional equipment, services and amenities for patients, visitors and staff.

Recently, the Charity has funded a range of initiatives, including wellbeing days for patients undergoing cancer treatment, medical equipment such as a new ultrasound machine and innovative new rehabilitation programmes, and toys to entertain the Trust’s youngest patients.

The Charity supports services across the Trust, which includes Maidstone Hospital, Tunbridge Wells Hospital and the newly-opened Fordcombe hospital, and donations from the abseil will support projects including updates to the Intensive Care Unit garden at Tunbridge Wells Hospital, Billisoft blankets for newborn babies, and developments in physiotherapy to support the rehabilitation of stroke patients.

Claire Ashby, the Trust’s Head of Charity and Fundraising said: “The success of this weekend’s event shows the sense of community in our Trust; it was wonderful to see so many staff and volunteers coming together to support us and to cheer each other on! We were also grateful to the Mayor of Tunbridge Wells, Nancy Warne for coming along and showing her support to the brave abseilers. The funds raised will benefit staff and patients across the Trust and every donation, no matter the size, will make a difference.

We are incredibly grateful for all the support the event has received, including from our sponsors Apogee Corporation and RRT UK, and we’d encourage anyone wanting to hold their own challenge event to contact us at mtw-tr.charity@nhs.net to find out how you can support your local hospitals.”