Sky is the limit for student nurses in ARCHIE abseil
A group of soon-to-be nurses are showing they have a head for heights once more by taking on a charity abseil from one of Dundee’s tallest buildings in aid of sick children.
The student nurses will abseil down the side of the University of Dundee’s Tower Building in aid of The ARCHIE Foundation on Sunday June 2.
Their latest fundraising effort for the official charity of the Tayside Children’s Hospital comes a year after they threw themselves out of a plane thousands of feet off the ground in a sky dive.
Front row: Viv Harper, David Martin and Maria Doyle.
Now the brave nurses, dubbed ARCHIE’s Angels, will again take to the skies for the charity – albeit just 12 storeys high this time.
Since registering, they have already raised more than £700 for the charity through their online fundraising page: https://archieabseiltayside.everydayhero.com/uk/archie-s-anticlimbers
Maria Doyle, one of those in the group, revealed their fundraising was initially inspired by Suzie Byer, senior charge nurse at Tayside Children’s Hospital.
The 21-year-old said: “Suzie came in at the start of second year to talk to us about the ARCHIE Foundation and what they are doing for the Tayside Children’s Hospital.
“Then she asked us about fundraising ideas and that’s when we decided on the sky diving. Now we want to do something else.
“Not all of us are from Dundee, which could help raise the profile of ARCHIE across the UK to the different parts we are all from.”
This time round the students, who are in their final year, managed to persuade two lecturers from their course to join in on their fundraising.
Karen Tosh, a child nurse lecturer, said: “Both me and another colleague have been roped in by the students to help support them and support the charity. Robert Muirhead and I will be up on top of that tower on the day – although we might change our minds when we’re up there.
“I think the student’s effort in this is amazing. This is really highlighting the importance of, not just actually doing a programme of study, but all the other extra activities and things that you can get involved in when you come to do nursing at the University of Dundee. It’s a real credit to the students that they want to, not just engage in their programme and become nurses, but do something extra and something that will contribute to improving lives of children in a grander sense.”
This year, The ARCHIE Foundation is encouraging participants to turn up in fancy dress to make the fun event even more eye catching. True to their name, the 10 ARCHIE’s Angels are set to abseil in angel wings while sporting their yellow ARCHIE T-shirts.
Linda Meiklejohn, fundraising co-ordinator, for ARCHIE said: “I can’t wait to see the group in their angels’ wings on the day, especially the guys.
“It’s truly inspiring to see a group of students actively fundraising for local sick children. It really shows they care and are compassionate nurses which I’m sure will serve them well in their careers.
“All money raised by all participants on the day will make a huge difference to children in hospital in Tayside and I can’t thank them all enough for their efforts.”
There are still spaces left for the abseil. Visit https://www.everydayhero.co.uk/event/archieabseiltayside to register, or email hello@archie.org for more information.
