Sam's story: abseiling 300ft to fundraise for Shout
After seeing first-hand how many people need our support, Shout Volunteer Sam wanted to fundraise and encourage others to volunteer. She recently abseiled 300ft from Spinnaker Tower, raising an incredible £2,000 for Shout in the process.
I know texters have to be so brave to reach out to us when life is challenging, and abseiling the Spinnaker tower really helped me experience bravery. My bravery is nothing compared to theirs, but it gave me an insight.
Testimonials
I did it because I wanted to get the word out there to encourage more folks to apply to be Shout Volunteers, and to raise the money needed to train them.
I was so surprised and amazingly proud to have raised over £2,000 with Gift Aid. Knowing I’d raised so much for Shout helped me believe in myself and take on the challenge.
What were your highlights?
Getting to the bottom was a great relief. When you’re 250ft in the air and the wind’s blowing, getting back on firm ground is a very good thing! I also got a little round of applause from spectators.
Do you have any advice for other fundraisers?
Make it personal. I simply told my story of why fundraising for Shout was so important to me. It touched so many people at work, my friends and family, my local gym and people I didn’t even know that well.
I also recommend reaching out to your workplace. I told my HR team what I was up to and they decided that I should be the recipient of the monthly charity donation, which was worth over £300. Then, of course, telling people how I got on after the event brought in another flood of donations.
Testimonials
I am so proud of what I achieved. It was much more terrifying than I'd expected but it only lasted an hour. The work we do at Shout helps people who have been struggling for so much longer than that. It's the least I could do!
