Greater Manchester nurse pals abseil down UK’s tallest structure for the Christie

Two lifelong pals, who trained as nurses together in Salford 40 years ago, have taken their friendship to new heights and abseiled down the UK’s largest structure for charity.

Janice Harris and Julie Plaister made their way down ArcelorMittal Orbit in east London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on Saturday to raise money for The Christie, where Janice is a patient.

The retired nurse was diagnosed with throat cancer in early 2021 and underwent high-energy proton beam therapy and chemotherapy as part of a clinical trial at the Christie – the first UK hospital to offer the treatment.

Janice said: “I’d just made the decision to retire from nursing and was looking to the future when I got the news I had cancer.

“The treatment was brutal and unrelenting, it hit me really hard. To make matters worse, I also had to have it during lockdown, so couldn’t bring anyone with me.

Janice, from Chorley in Lancashire, was given the all-clear last November and decided to do something special to raise money for the specialist cancer centre.

She said that the staff there “took over” from her family and friends at a time when coronavirus restrictions prohibited visitors at hospitals.

“They were there for me at my lowest ebb and doing this challenge is my way of saying thank you.

“Long-term side-effects from my treatment mean that I can’t walk very far, but an abseil is perfect, especially as I’m really afraid of heights,” she said.

Taking the plunge down the 114.5m structure with her was her best friend Julie, whom she met aged 19 on their first day of nurse training at Salford Royal Infirmary 40 years ago.

Julie, who lives in Tyldesley in Wigan, said: “Janice is like a sister to me, so to find out that she had cancer was devastating.

“We’ve been through all of life’s ups and downs together and are godmothers to each other’s children. I’m so happy that she’s cancer-free now and I’m looking forward to many more years of fun together.

Like Janice, Julie is also afraid of heights but said she “was never going to let her do the abseil alone.”

“My best friend wouldn’t be here without The Christie, so we endeavour to raise as much money as possible,” she said.

Josh Hughff, sporting events officer at The Christie charity, said: “The Christie is a really special place and it’s great to see people like Janice and Julie coming up with creative ways to support our charity.

“They have such a lovely friendship and I wish them all the best on the day.”

The pair have so far raised a combined total of £1,590 through their JustGiving pages.

You can find out more about donating and fundraising for The Christie here.