102-year-old war veteran breaks Guinness World Record and becomes the oldest person to abseil!
Colin Bell, former Mosquito Bomber in the RAF, abseiled 17 storeys down the Royal London Hospital whilst raising money for the RCN Foundation.
Meet our fundraisers and get inspired!
If you're still stuck for ideas, check out our A-Z guide and our fundraising hints and tips.
Andrew
In October 2023, Andrew ran the Kielder 10K and fundraised over £600!
Having previously received a hardship grant from the RCN Foundation, Andrew saw this as the perfect opportunity to give back to those facing similar circumstances. Following his triumph last year, Andrew is running the Alton Towers 10K, 5k Pride run, AND the Kielder 10K this year and has chosen to fundraise for the RCN Foundation again. You can support his efforts here.
Chris Difford
During the pandemic, singer and songwriter Chris Difford, organised several Zoom concerts in aid of the RCN Foundation. Chris and his guests raised over £5,000 which directly supported nurses, midwives and healthcare supporter workers who were adversely affected by COVID-19.
Colin
Flt Lt Colin Bell, who was 102 at the time, broke the Guinness World Record for the oldest person to abseil! He abseiled from the helipad on the roof of the Royal London Hospital Building, which is approximately 86 metres (284 ft) high – light work for the former WW2 RAF pilot."The care and compassion of nurses has touched my heart, which is why I have committed to supporting the work of the RCN Foundation."
Amazingly, Colin’s efforts weren’t in vain, and he incredibly fundraised over £16,000, which will make a significant difference to nursing and midwifery communities across the UK.
Jack
In 2023, Jack, an avid football player at Hackney Mabley Babies FC, was diagnosed with a brain tumour and successfully underwent surgery to remove this.Inspiring his teammates, in March they organised a charity football tournament to raise awareness of the condition, whilst raising money for the RCN Foundation and Brain Tumour Research - raising a staggering £1,375 for the RCN Foundation!
Justina
Artist Justina Dewhurst-Richens, created this one-of-a-kind, hand embroidered nurse piece, which was auctioned off, with all proceeds donated to the RCN Foundation – raising a total of £565!
Mirka
Mirka has been an avid supporter of the RCN Foundation, having ran several running events for us in the past. The most recent being the London Vitality 10k and the Royal Parks Half Marathon last year in which she raised close to £400!
Mirka is “keen to donate as many funds as possible to the RCN Foundation and play my part in supporting the nursing family.”
RCN Eastern Region
Each year, the RCN Eastern Region support the RCN Foundation through fundraising at their local Pride event in Norwich and these funds are invaluable in supporting the work that we do.In 2023, they raised over £100, and it looked like a fun day was had by all! They will be fundraising again this year so if you fancy popping along, you can find more info here.
Paul
In 2022, Paul ran the Cardiff Half Marathon to raise money for nurses, midwives, and healthcare support workers – raising over £400!
“My wife is a nurse who loves nursing, so it seemed apt that I chose to run in aid of the RCN Foundation. The nursing team do a great job of caring for patients and improving the wellbeing of the UK population! Enough said.”
RCN Group
In 2023, a group of 8 staff from around the RCN took part in the Vitality London 10K and fundraised close to £2,000.
Each of them crossed the finish line, raised vital funds for the RCN Foundation, and made an undoubted difference to the lives of countless nurses, midwives, and healthcare support workers.