Daredevil fundraisers go over the edge

Daredevil fundraisers who jumped off a cliff in Weston-super-Mare raised almost £3,500 for charity.

The group of 26 friends staged the mass abseiling event in aid of Weston Hospicecare, which cares for terminally patients.

Bernie Clements, a mum-of-two who fell ill with cancer organised the event.

She and the team abseiled down a 165 foot cliff at Uphill Quarry on October 18, in front of 300 spectators.

The group ranged in ages from 13 to 59 and included Bernie's own daughters, Becky Short and Heather Rudge.

All sponsorship has since been collected and totalled £3,456.

Bernie, 55, who lives in Worle, said: "The hospice has been a great help to me and my family throughout my illness and I wanted to help pay them back for the kindness that they have showed me.

"I got the idea for the event whilst in the hospice, as I saw a group of abseilers and decided it would be a great way to help the hospice raise money to ensure they can provide excellent care to individuals and families in my position."

The abseil was overseen by instructors from Mendip Outdoor Pursuits who helped the group complete the abseil in less than three hours.

Bernie also organised a cake stall, raising £300 for the hospice and more than 200 books were donated to the organisation.

She added: "I would like to thank all of those who took part in the abseil and collected sponsorship money on behalf of the Hospice, and for the generosity of everybody who made a donation.

"Also to all who helped me organise the whole event, including manning the cake stall and providing refreshments, I couldn't have done it without you all."

Weston Hospicecare fundraiser Sue Sweet said: "Bernie and her friends and family have raised a fantastic amount of money for the Hospice.

"We are so grateful to people like Bernie and all her supporters who put so much effort into fundraising events like this. It really does make a difference to people's lives."

To find out more about Weston Hospicecare call the hospice's fundraising team on 01934 423960, or log on to www.westonhospicecare.org.uk