A tall order... charity sets Victoria Tower fundraising challenge
Climbing Victoria Tower’s steps five times is the equivalent of climbing the Eiffel Tower in Paris, and will help raise funds for Guernsey Chest & Heart in its latest fundraising initiative.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the charity has organised the event to coincide with the final day of the Paris Paralympics.
Islanders are challenged to ascend and descend the 99-step, or 100ft, tower five times for a £10 donation on Sunday 8 September.
‘This is not a race, it’s an endurance challenge for people to test their stamina and get their hearts pumping. We estimate it will take a fit person about 20 to 25 minutes to complete,’ said Guernsey Chest & Heart centre manager Caroline Ogier.
‘We hope to see as many people there as possible and will be on site all day from 9am to 4pm to ensure anyone wanting to take part can fit it in around their other Sunday activities.
‘We are a charitable organisation that relies entirely on individual donations and corporate support to continue to operate, but we only have enough funds to keep going for another couple of years or so.
‘As we come up to our 50th anniversary of supporting the health service locally, it seemed fitting to hold a fundraising event that would really challenge people to test their heart health and support a vital local charity.’
Teams are welcomed to complete the event in a relay and there is no requirement to climb to the top. All proceeds from the event will go directly to the charity’s services.
The spiral staircase within the tower is broken up by three platforms, meaning that participants can take a break if needed and enjoy the panoramic views across the island.
The latest public health report shows that diseases of the circulatory and the respiratory systems are two of the largest causes of mortality at 26% and 10% respectively, after cancer at 33%.
