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Santa Abseils into Town

Oct 13, 2010

Father Christmas is best known for going down the chimney, but on his first visit to Birmingham this year he made a rather unusual entrance – a daring abseil from Star City’s 118-ft tall central atrium.  

Santa was in town - or rather Star City’s general manager Mark Wilson was - to draw people’s attention to a special fundraising event taking place at the M6 Junction 6 entertainments complex this autumn.  

The venue is hosting Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice’s Festive Freefall sponsored abseil on Saturday, December 11. It is hoped the event will raise thousands of pounds to help pay for vital palliative care for people with life-limiting illnesses from Birmingham and Sandwell. 

Mark said despite a few pre-descent nerves, he thoroughly enjoyed the abseil: “It doesn’t look so bad from the ground but when you get up on top of the glass atrium and look down it’s pretty scary. But it was worth it. If we can raise awareness about this event and get as many people as possible to sign up then we’re going to be doing something great for a very worthy local cause.” 

The exhilarating challenge is being organised by Hospice Events Fundraiser Charlotte Sudbury, who also took the plunge in a Santa suit for a test run of the abseil on Wednesday (October 13). 

Charlotte said: “I was absolutely petrified about going through the skylight into nothingness, but I have to say, once I let go it was a fantastic experience. I would like to invite people to take up the challenge too this December. You’ll have a great day out and will be supporting an important local charity.” 

The abseil is being managed by Creation Climbing Centre in Moseley. Centre Manager Toby Forrester said: “This abseil is a little bit different in that it’s a freefall, which means there’s no wall to put your feet up against and you just dangle on the rope. But we will ensure participants descend at a speed that they’re happy with. 

“To make sure the event goes smoothly, we’ll have about seven or eight staff volunteering on the day, some of whom have a personal connection to Birmingham St Mary’s. My father was cared for by the Hospice as was our staff member Sam Stirrup’s. As a company we like to support good causes, and we’ll be ensuring everyone who takes part has a safe but exhilarating abseil.” 

In addition to the abseil this Christmas, Star City has swung behind Birmingham St Mary’s in a big way. The venue has pledged all proceeds from its Santa’s Grotto, which is open from the beginning of December, and its Christmas pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk, which begins on December 18 and runs until December 23, to the Hospice.  

On December 11 there will also be a lower abseil from a platform inside the atrium for those who can’t quite stomach the 118-ft descent. Daredevils can practise at Star City’s Twin Peaks indoor climbing centre, which can be contacted on 0121 328 1235 or www.climbbirmingham.co.uk.  

To sign up for Birmingham St Mary’s Festive Freefall go to www.bsmh.org.uk, email Charlotte at charlotte.sudbury@bsmh.org.uk or telephone 0121 472 1191. For further information about the technical aspects of the abseil, telephone Creation Climbing Centre on 0121 449 8000. Star City can be contacted via Nadine.donald@starcity.org.uk or www.starcitycentre.co.uk. 

Since its launch in 1979, Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice has cared for tens of thousands of people with life-limiting illnesses, such as cancer, motor neurone disease and MS.  

With around 52 percent of the Hospice’s budget reliant on public goodwill, community fundraising is crucial to ensuring its highly specialised services can continue to be offered to the people of Birmingham and Sandwell. 

In addition to a 25-bed Inpatient Unit, Birmingham St Mary’s boasts a 20-place Day Hospice and provides community care to people who wish to stay in their own homes.  

The Hospice also supports relatives with bereavement preparation, physiotherapy tuition and counselling in addition to many other services.  

Annual running costs stand at £6.3 million, with around £1 million being raised in the Hospice’s shops and £2.7 million via fundraising. The remainder comes from the NHS. 

Birmingham St Mary’s nurses, often referred to by patients and relatives as ‘angels’, are renowned for going that extra mile to ensure people with terminal illnesses enjoy the best possible quality of life.