Staff at accountancy firm HWB Chartered Accountants have got into the festive spirit by taking the plunge for charity.
They donned Santa suits and beards to brave rainy and windy conditions to ride a zip wire high above the sea in aid of Dementia Support Hampshire & IOW.
HWB’s team of Michaela Johns, James Flood, Matt Cooper, Tom Young, Richard Knight, Harry Sherwood and Emma Kemp raised almost £1,000 for Dementia Support, which is the firm’s chosen charity of the year.
The Santa Slide took place on the 250-metre zipline which runs from a 25-metre tower on Bournemouth Pier to the beach below.
Director Michaela said: “It was pretty hair-raising, especially climbing up the tower in the wind and then waiting for the moment when you had to launch yourself off the platform, however, it was also absolutely exhilarating.
“We were so glad to have completed the challenge to raise crucial funds for Dementia Support Hampshire & IOW which does such vital work in the community.
“So many families, including some people in our office, have been affected in one way or another through a loved one having this terrible brain disease and we have been determined to do everything we can to help.”
As a corporate partner HWB Chartered Accountants has been undertaking a series of events to boost Dementia Support, including a silent auction which also contributed almost £1,000 itself.
Staff donned Christmas jumpers and held a festive bake sale to boost the fundraising. Members of the team also helped out at the Dementia Support Christmas party as volunteers.
This followed four members of staff completing the 12.8-kilometre Walk for Dementia 2025 around Warsash Harbour in September.
Dementia Support Hampshire & IOW, based in Eastleigh, offers support from the initial signs of memory loss and throughout the dementia journey for individuals with dementia, their families, friends, and caregivers.
The charity’s focus is on emotional health and wellbeing, reducing isolation and loneliness, and providing practical support to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
According to the Department of Health, by this year one million people in the UK will have dementia, and this will increase to two million by 2050. One in three people born this year will develop dementia in their lifetime.
To date the team have raised just under £5,000 including gift aid and between 12 staff members have given 45 hours of their time.
One of the volunteers said: “Volunteering for this charity has really made me understand better how the money we raise is put to good uses and how much people appreciate it.”
Chartered accountants HWB, based at Chandler’s Ford, near Southampton, provides business and tax advice.
https://www.hwb-accountants.com/