10 Take on the ultimate urban challenge Mayor of Barnet and MPs celebrate our staff Elite Royal Marines are swapping jungle treks and Arctic survival for the ultimate urban challenge – delivering the first-ever charity abseil down the Pears Building on the RFH campus. This May, in partnership with the Royal Free Charity, thrill-seekers will don harnesses and helmets to brave new heights from the top of the 70-foot-tall building, under the expert guidance of these world-class commandos, raising vital funds for the RFL. Lieutenant Colonel Gary Veacock, whose wife Heidi received life-saving treatment for a neuroendocrine tumour at the RFH, said: “We are your Royal Marines – the nation’s Royal Marines – and it’s a privilege to deliver this event with the Royal Free Charity in gratitude for the exceptional care given to our families. “We’re lending our expertise, honed through global challenges, to ensure participants have an unforgettable and safe experience abseiling down the Pears Building.” Funds raised will support RFL’s 17,000 NHS staff and the two million patients they care for each year. Gary added: “The care my family received here has been nothing short of extraordinary. The teamwork and dedication of the staff remind me so much of my time Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Tony Vourou, and MPs, Catherine West, and Dan Tomlinson, officially opened BH’s new UTC. They congratulated staff on achieving this significant milestone and thanked them for their hard work and dedication. The Mayor of Barnet said: “These centres are really important for our community – thank you to you and your teams for everything that you do.” The new space helps ensure patients are cared for in the right place at the right time. Over 8,000 patients have walked through its doors since the UTC opened in November 2024 and it is already delivering a better experience for patients. In January the emergency department was the eighth Gary Veacock and his wife Heidi Staff and guests celebrate the official opening of the new UTC in the marines; it’s never about the individual but the whole team.” Money raised from the abseil will help the charity to continue providing a range of services supporting RFL staff and patients. The abseil takes place on Friday 9 May and Saturday 10 May from the roof of the Pears Building – home to the Royal Free Charity and UCL’s Institute of Immunity and Transplantation. The Royal Free Charity is urging people to sign up fast and secure their spot on this unique adventure. Visit the charity’s website to find out more: royalfreecharity.org/abseil best performing in the country for the number of patients discharged, admitted or transferred within four hours. Deborah Sanders, chief executive of BH, said: “Our staff are amazing and they should be very proud of what they have achieved. “Our new UTC is really making a difference to patient experience and is a much better environment for our staff to work in. We have more to do to make things even better for the communities we serve but this is a significant step in our journey. “Thank you to the Mayor of Barnet, Catherine West and Dan Tomlinson for joining us to mark this moment.”
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