Zip wire across the Thames for Evelina London
Posted on Tuesday 8th November 2016
The Evelina London Zip will go across the Thames from the roof of St Thomas' Hospital to Victoria Tower Gardens.
You can now enter a free prize draw to win a place on the first ever zip wire across the Thames which aims to raise £1 million for Evelina London Children’s Hospital.
For your chance to win, visit Support Evelina, where you can make a donation and enter the competition.
The competition closes at 4pm on Tuesday 22 November.
On Friday 2 December, for one day only, firefighters from the London Fire Brigade will rig up a zip wire from the roof of St Thomas' Hospital to Victoria Tower Gardens.
The event is being held in partnership with the London Fire Brigade as part of its 150th anniversary celebrations. London Fire Brigade Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Andy Roe, masterminded the event after his son, Zaki, 9, was treated at Evelina London.
He said: “I’ve got to warn you, this is not a trip for the fainthearted. It will feel like you are flying directly into the Houses of Parliament. There is no other white knuckle ride like it in the world.”
The event aims to raise at least £1 million to go towards building a £2.7 million dedicated Clinical Research Facility at Evelina London.
Professor Gideon Lack is Head of Evelina London’s Allergy Service. He hopes to use the Clinical Research Facility to help prevent food allergies in children and eventually wants to prevent other allergic diseases such as asthma and hay fever.
He’ll be braving the zip wire and admits: “To be entirely honest I have a fear of heights, so I’m feeling a bit apprehensive, but I’m very excited about it.
“I’m just delighted to play my part in helping to raise much needed funds. It’s only by having a state-of-the-art Clinical Research Facility with sufficient beds and in an environment that is friendly to children that we can help find better treatments and cures.”
This new facility will allow vital research to improve treatments and cures for numerous other conditions as well including autism, epilepsy, congenital heart disease and kidney disease.