AN eight-year-old girl handed over £225 to the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) after she abseiled down Roseberry Topping in aid of the charity.
Poppy Whitehouse, a pupil at Crooksbarn Primary School, in Norton, abseiled 12 metres down the top of the distinctive landmark with her godfather, Chris Jones, on July 30.
Poppy and Mr Jones climbed to the top of Roseberry Topping along with her mother Caroline, father David, sister Tilly, 4, brother Henry, 3, Caroline’s mother, Susan Padgett, and Mr Jones’ wife, Helen, before the pair abseiled down the south-east corner.
Poppy said: “I was scared but I would do it again. I wanted to support GNAAS because they do such a good job.”
Mrs Whitehouse said: “She’s a bit of an adventure head but she doesn’t just do things for fun, she always wants to do them for a reason and that’s why she supported GNAAS. She’s so thoughtful. I’m so proud of her.
“Her godfather, who used to be a paramedic, has told her a lot about the air ambulance and mountain rescue and so she knows how much they help people, especially those in remote locations, and so she wanted to do something for them.”
Mr Whitehouse added: “She’s braver than I am.”
Poppy visited GNAAS’ Durham Tees Valley Airport base with her parents on August 23, where she saw the aircraft return after a call-out in Seaham.
She handed over a large cheque to pilot, Jay Steward, and paramedic, Paul Burnage.
Mr Steward said: “I hope when Poppy sees the aircraft in the sky she feels proud knowing that she has helped to keep it there.”
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