BT staff and TV stars to abseil down the BT Tower
Howard Lake | 17 February 2014 | News
British Telecom’s chairman Sir Mike Rake has devised a fundraising event that involves his chief executive walking backwards off the 138m high BT Tower in Central London.
BT boss Gavin Patterson will lead a 30-strong team of BT colleagues and celebrities in a sponsored abseil from the London landmark in a joint fundraising venture for Sport Relief and the Royal Marines Charitable Trust.
Sir Mike is described as a keen supporter of the Royal Marines and the fundraising event – on 10 March – will kick off a year of commemorations marking the marines’ 350th anniversary, during which the service’s charitable trust aims to reach its four-year fundraising target of £6 million.
Gavin Patterson says he is “delighted” that BT is hosting the event, even though he also says he is “not the greatest fan of heights”.
The six BT employees taking part in the abseil are all former members of the armed services, while the celebrity component comprises people used to an adrenaline rush, including adventurer Bear Grylls, former Blue Peter presenter Helen Skelton and swimmer Mark Foster. All the team will receive training from the Royal Marines.
Sport Relief runs this year from 21 to 23 March 2014. Fundraising for the event is through BT mydonate.
Sue Robinson / Shutterstock.com
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.