• Daredevil fundraiser generates £24,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support
• National Grid staff in two-year partnership to raise half a million pounds for Macmillan
Plucky National Grid employees, who embarked on a white-knuckle climb to the top of a 150-foot electricity pylon, have generated a whopping £24,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
An eight-strong band of office-based staff swapped their day jobs in Solihull, Warwick and London to scale a National Grid training pylon taller than Nelson’s column at the company’s Eakring training academy in Nottinghamshire.
And it was a case of ‘fortune favours the brave’ as donations poured in for the adrenaline-fuelled fundraiser on Thursday (4 June).
Thanks to generous colleagues, friends and family, the intrepid team doubled their original charity target to more than £12,000. National Grid has pledged to match their efforts, with £24,000 set to be handed over to Macmillan to pay for heating grants for people with cancer.
Climbing electricity pylons is a routine part of the job for National Grid’s force of overhead line engineers but Stephanie Hazell, Corporate Strategy and Business Development Director, and her team are more used to having their feet firmly on the ground.
She said: “It was an amazing experience – exhausting, exhilarating and just a little terrifying! Even more amazing, though, was the generous response from colleagues, family and friends – the fundraising target has far exceeded our expectations.
“All this money will support Macmillan’s excellent work in caring for people with cancer.
“Everyone has been touched by cancer in some way. I was diagnosed with a tumour in my leg while at university. My prognosis was excellent and I am left with just a large scar but many others face far more serious challenges.”
Local resident and a member of the team undertaking the challenge Mark Pearce said: “This was a personal challenge for a great cause, which also gave me an insight into the work of the overhead lines team.”
Macmillan was voted by National Grid employees as the company’s chosen charity. In a two-year fundraising partnership, staff are aiming to raise half a million pounds to fund heating grants for people with cancer.
Full safety precautions were taken for the climb. The ten-strong team donned protective equipment before being harnessed to the training pylon, which is connected to non-live wires, and is used to train linesmen. They were accompanied by qualified National Grid engineers throughout the event.
Members of the public should never attempt to climb pylons. It is extremely dangerous as they risk death or serious injury from high voltage electricity or falls.