The Mayor of Kensington and Chelsea has taken his duties to new heights – by plunging 17 floors down from the roof of The Royal London Hospital to support the London Air Ambulance Charity.

Fearless Cllr Tom Bennett took on the abseiling challenge at the home of the charity in Whitechapel, East London, with his wife, Mayoress Beatrice Bennett, and six other Council members.

The Mayor and his group were aiming to raise £10,000 from the daredevil descent, which took around eight minutes each, but their efforts have really taken off. By the time The Citizen went to ‘press’, they had landed a staggering £18,857.

Cllr Bennett  said: ‘The abseil was a huge success. All eight members of our team got down safely and stylishly. The Mayoress and I were particularly honoured to open the event and ‘test the ropes’ by coming down first. She’s already suggesting we do another abseil soon!

‘I did this to support London’s Air Ambulance. They are a vital service for London, and while we all hope we’ll never need them, it’s reassuring to know they’re there for every single one of us.’

Jonathan Jenkins, CEO of London Air Ambulance Charity, was grateful for The Mayor’s support, stressing that he had their “full backing for having the courage to take it on”.

When elected in May, the Mayor selected the London Air Ambulance Charity as the Mayoral Charity for 2025-26 with the promise of hosting events and generally helping to spread the word about the air crews’ incredible work. The abseiling event was the first of what could be several fundraisers during his tenure, so he has indeed got off to a flying start.

Last year, London’s Air Ambulance attended to 2,058 patients across London, including 43 in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

Donations can be made via the charity’s fundraising website.

All photos ©RBKC