An amputee from Chesham is preparing for an abseil of his lifetime to raise money for a charity close to his heart. 

Elliott Rodgers from Chesham is doing the hair-raising abseil from the top of Royal London Hospital to help London Air Ambulance keep delivering life-saving emergency care across Greater London and neighbouring counties.

For the 49-year-old, whose leg was amputated last November following complications from an accident on black ice, the jump is less worrying and more exciting.

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“The height doesn’t worry me at all. I’m more worried of going to the dentist,” he joked.

“When I heard they were doing the abseil again at the Royal London Hospital, I thought ‘let’s go for it’.”

He wanted to do something that “would catch the imagination” to raise much-needed cash for the LAA - a charity whose single helicopter dispatch costs an average £2,290.

“Some years back, I had my chest, legs and belly waxed to raise money for London Air Ambulance, and raised around £700. It wasn’t exactly pain free,” he said. 

While Elliott will abseil 17 stories in September, his birthday month, the height of the building with the helipad is 19 stories – the tallest helipad in Europe, he said.

In his 20s, he volunteered with Bucks Search and Rescue.

He said: “I loved climbing, abseiling, and heights rescue. I haven’t done any abseiling or climbing in ages.

“I kind of wanted to prove, as getting to that age – not midlife crisis – but that I can do a lot of the stuff I loved doing and wanted to do, and I’ve always been a supporter of both Thames Valley Air Ambulance and London Air Ambulance.”

The LAA, operating 24 hours 365 days a year, was vital during the major tragedies in London like the 7/7, the Grenfell Tower fire and London Bridge terror incident.

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A spokesperson from London’s Air Ambulance said: “As a charity, volunteers and fundraisers are what helps keep us flying every day. We are proud to represent all of London’s communities and our supporters, like Elliott, are hugely valued by everyone at the charity.”

Elliott’s fundraiser and information about the LAA can be found here.