Women take the plunge to raise cash for family centre

Three women who work at Crawley's Marks and Spencer have taken the plunge to raise cash for a family centre in Langley Green.
From left: Debra Turner, Sandra Edwards and Kerrie Dye. Picture: GraylingFrom left: Debra Turner, Sandra Edwards and Kerrie Dye. Picture: Grayling
From left: Debra Turner, Sandra Edwards and Kerrie Dye. Picture: Grayling

Debra Turner, Sandra Edwards, and Kerrie Dye, abseiled down Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower and have raised almost £2,000.

They took the challenge in aid of The Springboard Project, a charity drop-in centre for families to play with their children in a safe environment.

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Debra, a customer assistant and charity co-ordinator at the store, said: “At first I was absolutely petrified, I’ve done a charity skydive in the past before, but this was even scarier as I could see the ground.

“I was determined to challenge myself and complete the abseil for such a worthy cause though and we’re really excited to be in a position to hand the cheque over to The Springboard Project and see them put the money to good use.

“We’re keen to get started on more exciting fundraising activities now and look forward to getting our customers involved to do as much as we can to support our local families.”

With support from two colleagues to encourage donations from customers and loved ones, the trio raised £1,000.

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Debra and her friends also raised an additional £865, which alowed them to purchase circus-style mirrors for the centre to encourage the children to interact with their altered reflections.

Over the coming months, Debra and her colleagues plan to travel down a one-mile zip wire in Wales – the longest in the UK.

The drop-in facility provides play and leisure facilities for children with or without disabilities.

The centre in Stagelands, Langley Green, features two lounge rooms, a sensory room, a soft play room and kitchen – all fully accessible spaces with ceiling and mobile hoists available.

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Su Parrish, service delivery manager at the centre, said: “We massively appreciate the effort they have gone to in all the fundraising they have done for us. And it is such a brave thing to do.

“They have gone above and beyond and we appreciate how committed they have been doing this particular event. We are a small charity and the money they have raised and are still raising will make a huge difference.

“M&S have been a significant supporter for the last couple of years.”