Brave Chelsea Pensioner takes on birthday challenge from football stadium for charity

A brave army veteran was among 50 thrill-seekers who stepped off the top of Tottenham Hotspur Football Stadium to raise nearly £18,000 for London Ambulance Charity.

On the day of his 78th birthday, Alan Rutter abseiled down the side of White Hart Lane – a total drop of 42 metres – to honour the London Ambulance crews who serve Londoners and care for the Chelsea Pensioners.

Chelsea Pensioners are retired British Army veterans who live at the Royal Hospital Chelsea and are instantly recognisable in the community due to their iconic scarlet uniforms.

Alan said:

“I did the abseil on my birthday as a treat to myself and to say thanks for the crews at London Ambulance Service.

“We live in a community of older people and it’s not unusual to see ambulance crews come into the Royal Hospital Chelsea to provide help and support. People at the ambulance service are the real heroes.

“We did the sky walk up at the top of the stadium, had our picture taken by the iconic cockerel and, of course, the abseil which was wonderful and brilliant.

“I treated myself to a nice cup of tea and a cream bun afterwards.”

Alan has been a Chelsea Pensioner for fourteen years. He joined the army in 1966 and served for 20 years. He then spent the next 35 years as a social worker.

Thanks to the abseilers, £17,700 was raised for wellbeing support for ambulance crews and for defibrillators to be installed in communities where they are needed most through the LAS Heart Starters campaign.

Jess Burgess, Head of London Ambulance Charity, said:

“This was an exhilarating event and I’d like to thank everyone for getting involved and raising money for such a vital cause!

“If you’d like to support local neighbourhoods and frontline crews, I’d urge you to get involved in our fundraising events.

“We’re also urging Londoners to help us by hosting a defibrillator in their neighbourhood for our Heart Starters campaign, so bystanders can be ready to save a life when someone suffers a cardiac arrest.”

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