King’s Mill Hospital Abseil raises £36,000+ for Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

On the 21st and 22nd of November 2025, we partnered with Sherwood Forest Hospitals Charity to deliver their first ever hospital abseil at King’s Mill Hospital. The event brought together over 130 participants across two days for a powerful, high-impact fundraiser.

Running two abseil lines from the sixth floor of the hospital, King’s Mill’s courtyard transformed into a hub for fundraiser registration and harnessing, with spectators watching staff and supporters make the descent.

Over two days, this event raised more than £36,000 in support of the charity.

A charity supporting care beyond the NHS

Sherwood Forest Hospitals Charity supports Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which runs King’s Mill, Newark and Mansfield Community hospitals.

Their work focuses on funding projects that go above and beyond what the NHS can provide – improving the experience of patients, visitors and staff across the Trust.

This abseil was designed to bring that mission to life in a visible, engaging way – connecting fundraising directly to the hospital environment itself.

Delivered with purpose – and in memory of Ken Godber

This event carried particular significance. It was made possible through the determination and vision of Ken Godber, Head of Charity Development and Corporate Partnerships, who sadly and unexpectedly passed away shortly before the event took place.

Ken had been instrumental in raising the profile of the charity – from launching the Sherwood Forest Hospitals Charity lottery to organising this abseil. The Trust dedicated the event to his memory, alongside his family, friends and colleagues.

From our side, it was important that delivery reflected that context. Working closely with the Trust team, we ensured the event could still go ahead successfully – with the flexibility, sensitivity and support needed during a difficult time. A touching tribute to Ken was held before the first abseil took place.

A community-driven fundraising effort

Among the abseilers were Ken’s wife and daughter, who abseiled together and raised over £2,000 in his memory.

Also taking part were 74-year-old Timothy Warnes and his 17-year-old granddaughter Holly, both of whom have received care at King’s Mill Hospital. Timothy underwent bowel cancer surgery in 2024 and now volunteers at the hospital, while Holly spent two weeks there in 2023 being treated for meningitis.

Reflecting on the experience, Holly said:

“I want to give back to the hospital. They have done a lot for so many people, and I think it’s important to give back when we can.”

Stories like this highlight one of the key strengths of hospital abseils – a direct, personal connection to the cause that naturally drives both participation and fundraising.

Positive feedback across the Trust

Feedback from both the charity team and participants reflected the strength of the delivery

Richard Mills, Chief Financial Officer at the Trust, commented:

“Big Bang Experiences have been a pleasure to work with, helping us to turn an idea we had into a brilliant event that has made a real difference to our charity. They have kept us informed and acted with professionalism throughout.

Our Head of Charity Development Ken, who was organising the event, passed away unexpectedly a few weeks before it was due to take place. Big Bang reacted with compassion and flexibility, supporting us to make sure that we would still be able to make the event a success.

We received so many comments from participants about how knowledgeable, supportive and friendly the team were on the day and would highly recommend them.”

We also saw strong engagement beyond the event itself, including regional media coverage from ITV News – helping to extend the charity’s reach and visibility.

Delivered safely – NHS hospital abseils designed to maximise impact

Delivering a hospital abseil at a live NHS site requires a structured, safety-led approach. For this event, we managed planning, permissions, risk assessments and full installation of a two-line abseil system from the sixth floor, supported by experienced instructors and controlled participant flow throughout.

This allowed the charity team to focus on recruitment and supporter engagement, while we handled delivery end-to-end.

The result reflects why hospital abseils are such an effective fundraising format – high participation, strong fundraising outcomes, minimal internal resource, and meaningful engagement across staff, patients and the wider community.

Looking ahead

It was a privilege to work with Sherwood Forest Hospitals Charity on such a meaningful event, and to play a part in delivering something that honoured Ken’s work and legacy.

This event is returning to King’s Mill Hospital on the 12th of June 2026 – to take part or find out more, please visit their page here.

If you're part of an NHS or hospital charity team considering a similar event, we’d be happy to talk through how this could work at your site.

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