Over 50 fundraisers braved the heights and the elements on Saturday 15 June, abseiling off the Abbey to raise money for Genesis and the Abbey’s Footprint Project.

We had a range of people taking part this year – from Genesis Trustee Peter Heywood to corporate teams from HGEM and Fidelius.  We also had a range of ages – from 14 to 80!

The drizzly weather created a very dramatic backdrop, but peoples’ spirits were not dampened despite the rain.

We spoke to our brave fundraisers to find out more about their motivations and feelings from Bath Abbey tower!

“We have Genesis as our chosen charity this year. Most of our staff come from Bath/BANES, so we felt it was important to support a local charity. And choosing a small charity means our money can make more of a difference. It’s really nice to do the abseil as a team building activity while also raising some money! I did an abseil many years ago but nothing this high! A big event like this is a great way to get people to donate” – Lauren (HGEM).

“I’m here to celebrate my 80th birthday last Saturday!” – Alison

“I’ve just finished a novel about Bath called Blue Rinse. People living on the street play quite a big role in the novel.  So I thought it was highly suitable to do this jump to raise money for them” – Matthew Harragin.

“I’ve been studying in Bath for the last three years, and I’ve actually just finished a project with the Bath Abbey where I found out about the abseil. Before I really knew what was happening I had signed up! It’s a great way to mark the end of my studies” – Lizzie (Bath Spa University final year student).

“I guess homelessness has an emotional resonance with me – the fact that people haven’t got somewhere to live which is a basic need. The work I do for Genesis can make a difference in a small way to addressing homelessness which is just one outcome of alienation in society” – Sarah (Genesis volunteer).

We want to thank everyone who took part, and to everyone who supported. A special thank you to Dave Talbot and Bath Abbey for making this happen.

If you’d like to show your support to our abseilers, there’s still time to make a donation.