Daredevil Licensees Raise Vital Funds For Chepstow's Chosen Charity
Alice Hicks and Andy Hosking volunteered to represent Basepoint and abseil from Newport’s historic Transporter Bridge in support of St David’s Hospice Care on Saturday 17 October.
Alice and Andy joined around 85 other dare-devils, first ascending the 278 steps to the top of the Transporter Bridge before being attached to a rope then freefalling 178 feet (54.25m) back down to the ground.
Marine ecologist Alice, aged 25, works for RPS who have offices at Basepoint Chepstow. She chose to get involved in the abseil in recognition of the vital and brilliant support which St David’s Care provides to the local community.
Steel bridge fabrication contracts manager, Andy Hoskings, works for Severfield (UK) Ltd who also have a base at the Basepoint centre. He said: “Normally I just get to oversee bridge fabrication and installation”. On Saturday, however, he got to abseil down the side of one.
Andy filled us in on what the experience was like:
“It was a long day, nerves certainly kicked in the morning of the abseil, albeit I managed to enjoy lunch at a pub just around the corner from the bridge. When we arrived in the carpark, it looked rather daunting, watching people pitching off the top and slowly coming down.
The event was really well organised, checked in and then got to put on the harness etc. This was checked, crash hat put on and the long walk up the stairs started. After the first few landings had passed, I started to use the “just going to wave at my wife and daughter” excuse in a bid to catch my breath. The view from the top was amazing, but rather windy and cold. Standard selfies took place and we had to wait for about 50 mins for our go. The wait did help calm my nerves.
We had our harnesses checked again and then were led out to the end of the bridge, ready to pitch off. It is a very un-natural feeling, going under a handrail backwards with a 178ft drop behind you, your brain saying, this is wrong. We slowly lowered ourselves off, and away we went. I did start going down at the same rate as Alice, but my desire to look like a navy seal took over and I raised the rope and off I went.
The feeling was exhilarating and was gutted to get to the bottom. I have the bug now, wanted to go again. I cannot thank Basepoint and St David’s Hospice Care enough for the opportunity to abseil down a local iconic landmark”.
Basepoint Chepstow, located close to the Severn Bridge in Chepstow, has retained St David’s Hospice Care as its nominated charity for the second year in succession.
Between the money raised by Alice and Andy in sponsorship and £1,500 of match funding donated by Basepoint's parent company, the ACT Foundation, Basepoint and it’s representatives contributed a grand total of almost £2,500.