AN 83-year-old abseiling enthusiast from Poole will be dropping down an 85ft high cliff next month for Poole Hospital Charity.

Margaret Fouracre, who volunteers at the Dorset Cancer Centre at Poole Hospital, says that is just the latest abseiling event she has done in the eight decades of her life so far.

The adventurous OAP will be completing the Poole Hospital Charity Extreme Coastal Abseil challenge on Saturday, April 26, at Portland, but says that her scariest challenge was taking on the Poole Water Tower.

Margaret said that she last did an abseil 10 years ago, which saw her put on the harness and make sure she was secured to the ropes, before taking on the task facing downwards.

She added: “I’ve always been a bit adventurous, I suppose, and I don’t really mind heights.

“I read a leaflet written by Poole Hospital Charity, which listed the challenges that you could take part in, and I saw the word ‘Abseil’ and thought that I could do that.”

Gwen Trevett, fundraising assistant for the charity, said: “Margaret was quite put out when she discovered that there was a 75-year-old cap on participants for the event.

“However, having discussed Margaret as an individual case with the abseiling instructors, they agreed that she was good to go.”

Places are still available for the challenge on April 26 and no experience is necessary, just a desire to fundraise for the good cause.

For more information and to sponsor Margaret, go to Justgiving.com/Margaret-fouracre or contact Poole Hospital Charity on 01202 448449 or email Fundraising@ poole.nhs.uk