Surrey Choices renews Disability Confident Leader status
On Saturday 15 June 2019, Surrey Choices colleague Funmi is taking part in the Guildford Cathedral Abseil in support of our Local Charity of The Year. We sat down with Funmi to find out why she wanted to do the Abseil and what this means to her. Read the interview below!
Why are you taking part in the Guildford Cathedral Abseil?
I’m doing this to raise money for The Fountain Centre – one of the charities that’s very dear to my heart.
How did this opportunity come about?
After meeting with The Fountain Centre, the Communications Team here at Surrey Choices sent out an appeal for people with a sense of adventure to sign up and ‘just do it’.
Why is fundraising for this charity important to you?
I have two dear friends who have been supported by The Fountain Centre whilst they fought cancer. Both ladies won their battles and years later, are still alive to tell the tale! I love how the Fountain Centre are not biased, and support patients, whether they go the traditional route of treatment or not. I love the fact that they offer counselling to not only cancer patients and their loved ones, but also hospital staff who are caring for the patients. I also love the way they offer alternative therapies like reflexology, aromatherapy, massage, and more at a very uncertain (and often worrying) time. Many people are unable to continue working as they fight for their lives, and these treatments can be very costly and so offering them to cancer patients free of charge is such a good thing.
Have you done anything like this before?
Yes – but it was many, many, moons ago, and not from anywhere near as high as 160 feet! Rewind to the 1980’s. I was a teenager and every year the boarders at our school used to go to the Bath & West Show on Wincanton Racecourse. It’s the Somerset equivalent of the Surrey County Show in Guildford. We loved going up the climbing wall and abseiling down at the Army’s display area. Two reasons really:
- We were at an all girls’ school and were very keen to hang out with (and to hopefully impress and/or catch the eye of) a soldier or two (she says giggling a little!) Please don’t tell my Dad that!
- This was one of the most exciting parts of the show. It was fun, energetic and a challenge. The other cool place was tasting samples in the Babycham tent but only once you were 18 (of course!!!)
How do you think you will feel before you climb over the edge and abseil yourself down to the ground?
Hmmmmm … probably a mixture of super excited and nervous. Hopefully more excited than nervous! And I might also feel a little proud of myself for choosing to overcome the very healthy fear of stepping off a very tall building and abseiling down to the ground!
What would you say to somebody thinking of doing a similar activity like this for their chosen charity?
I would say “Go for it!” But make sure you start asking people to sponsor you as soon as you can.The early bird definitely catches the worm!
If you would like to sponsor Funmi, please click here to make an online donation!
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