Daring abseilers raise over £36,000 for hospital charity

More than 130 hospital staff and members of the public took part in a daring abseil from the sixth floor of King’s Mill Hospital, raising more than £36,000 for Sherwood Forest Hospitals Charity.

The charity supports Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs King’s Mill, Newark and Mansfield Community hospitals, to improve the lives of patients, visitors and staff by funding projects above and beyond what the NHS can fund.

Tinged with sadness, the event was possible due to the determination of Ken Godber, Head of Charity Development and Corporate Partnerships, who sadly and very unexpectedly passed away earlier this month.

Ken was passionate about raising the profile of the SFH Charity and in his short time at the Trust, he did just that, by spearheading the launch of the Sherwood Forest Hospitals Charity lottery and organising the abseil.

The Trust dedicated the abseil to the memory Ken and his loved ones. Ken’s wife Sarah, who took part in the abseil along with daughter Holly, raised more than £2,000 in memory of Ken. 

Richard Mills, Chief Financial Officer at SFH, paid tribute to Ken before the first abseil on Friday, and a book of condolence was available to sign on the day.

Richard said: "It has always been very clear that Ken is someone who cared deeply about the NHS. I know he loved to meet with people and to describe how the charity could help them. Since his passing I’ve had lots of comments about how warm, friendly, and genuine he was. 

“Ken was a brilliant colleague who will be sadly missed. He was a family man, and my thoughts are with his wife, two children and other loved ones.

“Thank you to everyone who took part in the abseil, all those who took the time to donate and our volunteers who helped everything to run smoothly.”

Among those who took part were inspirational duo Timothy Warnes, 74, and his 17-year-old granddaughter Holly Warnes.

Ex-miner Timothy, from Rainworth, underwent bowel cancer surgery at King’s Mill Hospital in 2024 from which he has now thankfully recovered. He currently volunteers at the hospital as a buggy driver, which he has been doing since 2022. 

Holly, who is studying at sixth form as well as working as a coach for British Gymnastics, has her own reasons for wanting to support the charity. Aged 14, she spent two weeks in King’s Mill with meningitis in 2023 and was keen to mention how supported she felt by clinical staff while she was going through such a rough time.

She said: “I want to give back to the hospital. They have done a lot for so many people, and I think it’s important to give back when we can. It was really special because I got to do this with my grandad, and I am hoping we can do a lot more activities like this together in the future.” 

The pair are no stranger to adrenaline-fueled activities after they took part in a parachute jump to raise money for Bowel Cancer UK after Timothy’s surgery, and Holly wants them to do a wing walk together for her 18th birthday!

Timothy said: “Holly inspired me to do the parachute jump and so I thought I’d inspire her to do the abseil. I volunteer at the hospital and can see how much the hospital charity benefits everyone. Both Holly and I have had been looked after by the hospital in the past and I just wanted to do my bit to help.” 

45-year-old Kerrianne Bone took part in the abseil as a way of saying thank you to the Trust, after she recently received care for breast cancer at King’s Mill Hospital. The Mansfield-based mum of two mentioned how brilliant the hospital has been with her care, and after receiving the all-clear in April this year she is now undergoing her reconstruction journey. 

She said: “I was so lucky to be able to take part in the abseil and if it weren’t for the care I received, things could have been very different. I did the abseil on Saturday and had my reconstruction surgery yesterday (Monday). It couldn’t have been timed better, and I’m so pleased I got to do it!”

The charity teamed up with Big Bang Experiences, a UK leader in height-based activities for over 30 years, to run its first abseil event. 

The JustGiving link will remain open until 12 December for anyone who would like to make a donation: www.justgiving.com/campaign/sfhabseil2025. Any cash donations and sponsorship forms can be taken to the Community Involvement Hub at King’s Mill Hospital by the same date.