Fearless bank staff raise £10k for Derbyshire hospice

Seven brave NatWest bank staff faced their fears with a charity abseil to raise funds for a local hospice.

The colleagues, from the South Yorkshire and North Derbyshire Commercial Banking team at NatWest, abseiled down the Custard Factory in Birmingham, raising £10,000 in sponsorship for Ashgate Hospice, a charity that cares for people suffering from life-limiting illnesses.

Liam Douglas, Relationship Director at NatWest, who organised the charity abseil and persuaded colleagues to take on the challenge, said: “We set out to raise £4,000 and were amazed by the generosity received, when we managed to more than double our target and raise £10,000 for the charity.

“There are a few of us in the group, myself included, who have a real fear of heights, so it really was a challenge. We were delighted to be safely on the ground afterwards but it was all worth it for such a worthy cause.”

Ashgate Hospice provides vital end of life and palliative care for residents of North Derbyshire and beyond, with the hospice relying on donations and goodwill to support its operation. The bank staff wanted to support the hospice after the charity provided care for a colleague’s relative.

Charlotte Gratton, Partnerships Manager at Ashgate Hospice in Chesterfield, said: “We rely on charitable donations to be able to continue our work, so it’s fantastic that NatWest staff have taken on this challenge to raise money for the hospice and we’d like to thank everyone that took part and those who donated.