The King’s Mill Hospital Abseil Challenge
On Friday 21 and Saturday 22 November the Sherwood Forest Hospitals Charity are hosting an abseil event to raise money to help fund schemes which will improve the lives of our patients, staff and visitors. You can find out more about the work of the charity on the charity webpage.
The charity has teamed up with Big Bang Experiences - a UK leader in height-based activities for over 30 years - to give you the chance to take a leap of faith and abseil down six storeys of King’s Mill Hospital. You can find out more about on the Big Bang Experiences website.
Over 150 people have signed up to take on the abseil and the charity are hoping to reach their £30,000 target.
If you would like to make a donation in support of the event, you can do so via their Just Giving page.
Meet the abseilers
We have been talking to some of our brave abseilers to find out their reasons for taking on the challenge.
Jessica Smedley
Langwith-based Jessica Smedley is on a mission to raise money for charity, having completed several fundraising challenges already this year; she has raised money for Dementia UK, Macmillan and Sport Relief.
After making the decision to focus on her health last October, Jessica has gone from barely exercising at all to taking on half marathons, and most recently took on the Mansfield 10k race to raise money for John Eastwood Hospice. She signed up to the abseil to mark her 40th birthday, which is on Saturday 4 October.
Jessica commented: “I’m doing it because I can. I want to push myself because I don’t know when the day will come that I can’t anymore, and I’m quite a charitable person anyway so figured I might as well raise money for charity at the same time. I think it’s important to contribute where can. We never know what’s around the corner, and one day I might need the services of these charities.”
John B Tannen
Local Radio show host and worldwide stuntman, John B Tannen, 59, is taking part in the abseil dressed as James Bond.
John has been a stuntman in film and television for 40 years, most recently appearing in the 2022 film The Batman and Aquaman, The Lost Kingdom on 2023.
As his job title suggests, John is no stranger to a challenge and commented that he loves taking part in events that challenge him both physically and mentally.
John said, “I’m taking part because it’s for a great cause – I know how important the NHS is to so many people and I want to do my bit. I’m getting older now and I’m slowing down a bit, but life’s too short not to do it!”
He will be cheered on by his wife, who works for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAHMS), which are a part of the NHS.
Kerrianne Bone
45-year-old Kerrianne is taking 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 of the challenge: “I’m so lucky to be in a position to take part in the abseil and if it weren’t for the care I received, things could have been very different. I wanted to give something back, and thought the abseil would be the ideal way to do so.”
Kerrianne will be taking in the challenge alongside her good friend Danielle and will be supported on the day by her partner, two children, and parents.
John Thompson-Campbell
King’s Mill Hospital porter and army veteran John is taking on the challenge to abseil down six storeys of King’s Mill Hospital.
Clipstone-based John, 62, previously worked as a signaller in the Royal Engineers and was a specialist in Battle Communications, as such, he is no stranger to abseiling off buildings. He noted that it takes a lot of courage to do so and extended his utmost respect to all those abseiling for the first time this weekend.
John has an interesting past as a tarot card reader, and he also worked as the Astrologer for the Mansfield Chad and Nottingham Post newspapers.
He has worked alongside every single team at King’s Mill Hospital and said of his reasons for taking part in the abseil: “It’s all about the patients and the community. I’m taking part in this abseil as my way of giving back to them.”
Timothy and Holly Warnes
Inspirational duo Timothy Warnes, 74, and his 17-year-old granddaughter Holly Warnes have signed up to the abseil as a way of giving back to the hospital.
Ex-miner Timothy, from Rainworth, who is the oldest person taking part in the abseil, underwent bowel cancer surgery at King’s Mill Hospital in 2024 which he has now thankfully recovered from. 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’s even more special because I’m getting to do this with my grandad and I’m hoping we can do a lot more activities like this together in the future.”
No strangers to adrenaline-fueled activities, the pair recently took part in a parachute jump to raise money for Bowel Cancer UK after Timothy’s surgery, and Holly mentioned she 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 want to do my bit to help.”
