DEVIZES fundraiser Catherine Drage decided to swap from organising dances to abseiling last weekend raising over £1000 for Breast Cancer Research and several other good causes.

The 55-year-old, along with two colleagues who work in adult care for Wiltshire Council on the Hopton Estate, abseiled down the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth on Saturday afternoon to raise funds.

Mrs Drage, of Edward Road, said: “It was absolutely petrifying and very windy but I am really proud of all three of us for completing it. It went very well but it was a long way down and took us about 20 minutes to complete.”

Mrs Drage is no stranger to fundraising having organised several dances in Devizes in memory of her husband’s sister Wendy Drage, who died 12 years ago from breast cancer at the age of 33.

She said: “Last year I should have done the something but unfortunately my mum passed away after suffering with Alzheimer’s so this abseil is to cover both charities.”

After all the sponsorship has come in Mrs Drage hopes to have raised £1,300.

Colleague Jill Simmonds raised £500 for The Forever Friends Appeal and the Bath Cancer Unit Support Group and colleague Cherel Black collected £160 for Parkinson’s and disability charity Nardy House.

The trio also held a raffle and a quiz along with other fundraising collecting £903.71 which will be split between all of the charities.