At Salisbury Hospice, we’re incredibly fortunate to be supported by fundraisers who take on awe-inspiring challenges, raising money for specialist palliative and end of life care.
In September 2026, Jim Eames faced his fear of heights with an extraordinary feat – abseiling down Spinnaker Tower from a height of 100m. Through sponsorship from family and friends cheering him on, Jim raised £2,400 for Salisbury Hospice!
Below, Jim describes his experience and explains what this challenge meant to him.
My name is Jim Eames, and I am a Dog Training Instructor, as well as a consultant aircraft compliance verification engineer. One pays the bills, and the other keeps me sane. I will let you decide which is which.
One of my wife’s best friends, Thalia, passed away at Salisbury Hospice in August 2017, having had pancreatic cancer. Visiting Thalia in the hospice, I saw first-hand what an incredible job the staff do for those in their care. The level of compassion and understanding I witnessed was truly amazing. My sister-in-law, Pauline, spent her last days in a different hospice in East Sussex, and the care there was equally fantastic. These encounters cemented the importance, for me, of hospice care, and I felt determined to support however I could.
I have also got to know Stella Sykes, a Trustee at Salisbury Hospice Charity, well over the past few years. I decided it was time to start contributing more, and I’m grateful to her for connecting me with the hospice team and helping me find out how best to raise sponsorship.
Jim beginning his descent
Choosing to take on this particular challenge – abseiling down Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth – was a moment of madness! I was travelling at the time, listening to the radio, and there was a mention of abseiling from Spinnaker Tower. The seed was sown; a day or so later I signed up. I then found out that I was a bit heavy for the challenge, so the next part started, where I lost 2 ½ stone in 6 weeks to be able to complete the challenge.
Just before the challenge I felt somewhat apprehensive, but I had my wife and a group of friends with me, so the brave face had to be in place. Whilst waiting at the top of the tower for my turn, I felt quite calm, and stepping out onto the ledge wasn’t a problem either, which surprised me.
However, when I stepped off the platform and I was told to lean back, there was a considerable change in the level of fear. Having listened to the video from the camera attached to my helmet, my constant gibberish and heavy breathing probably explains how I was feeling during the descent. It took about half an hour after my feet touched the ground for my hands to stop shaking.
Although terrifying, it was a fantastic experience, and I’m thankful to my family and friends for helping me raise such a brilliant amount for the hospice. I’d encourage anyone to take on a fundraising challenge – I’m already working out what I’m going to do next!
Are you taking on a challenge for Salisbury Hospice? We’d love to hear from you – please get in touch.
