It was just a few months ago on 11 March, a bitterly cold, sleety Saturday when 54 intrepid adventurers braved not only the elements but an abseil down the iconic Bath Abbey tower. The Leap of Faith! 2023 abseil was a fundraising event for Genesis Trust and Bath Abbey and the difficult weather conditions certainly added to the challenge levels. But everyone had an amazing time! The grand total raised from the Leap of Faith! 2023 was £18,400 which has been shared between Genesis Trust and Bath Abbey.
Sunshine in the morning and snow at the top of the tower in the afternoon did not deter the individuals and the teams from facing their fears and taking part. Groups were welcomed from King Edwards School and The Paragon School, from Bath Abbey, Holy Trinity Combe Down and St Barnabas Church, Southdown. There were even two solo abseilers doing this for their birthdays! One man knew he was fundraising for something exciting for his birthday, but didn’t know that it was abseiling from the 150m tower until he was told on arrival at the Abbey.
It was a good spectator sport for Bath too, as the abseilers were watched and cheered on by their family and friends below on Orange Grove. Liz Spurr, who organised the team from The Paragon School, said: “Thank you so much, it was a great experience, and we were so pleased to have raised such an amazing amount, we had a lot of fantastic supporters.”
Hilary Long, the Community Manager of Genesis Trust, and Cath Foxwell, the Fundraising Manager for Bath Abbey, said: “We are so grateful to everyone who has taken part and their supporters. It is not only doing the abseil that takes courage, but also the fundraising that can take us out of our comfort zone. This fantastic amount raised for Genesis Trust and Bath Abbey will make a difference to the people we help and the communities we serve.”
All in all, a day to remember. For some an opportunity of a lifetime, for others… well, they may be back for another go next year. However, in 2024 the abseil will be in the summer months to avoid the snow! You can watch our short abseil video HERE
