Glasgow Man Ready to Brave the Bridge for Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland  

A Glasgow man will take part in an adrenaline-fuelled fundraiser for a cause close to his heart.  

Charles Smith will be one of hundreds of brave daredevils to abseil 165 feet down the UNESCO World Heritage Site on Sunday, 28th September to support Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland. 

However the Civil Servant is no stranger to taking on adventurous fundraisers. 

The 60-year-old said: “I had intended to do this a few years ago and raise funds for cystic fibrosis as a couple of my nieces have the condition but unfortunately Covid-19 came along and stopped me doing it. So I ended up doing a parachute jump after a while instead. 

“I looked for an opportunity to do the abseil again and I noticed it on the CHSS website. My father, James, passed away with a heart and stroke condition and a few of my friends have had frights with heart attacks recently and so has my mother, Margaret. It seemed quite a relevant charity to support.” 

The event, run by Scotland’s largest health charity Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland in partnership with Network Rail and Balfour Beatty, raised more than £390,000 for all participating charities across two events in June and October. The charity supports the 1 in 5 people across Scotland living with chest, heart and stroke conditions to live their lives to the full and aims to reach 175,000 people per year by 2028.

Charles added: “I’ve done a wee bit before but I will still be nervous hanging over the edge. I do like doing adventurous things though. I was up the top of the Forth Road Bridge for its 60th anniversary so I’m making my way across the bridges. It was a cracking experience and I’m looking forward to this one as well.” 

To contribute to Charles’ fundraiser please go to www.justgiving.com/page/charles-frb.

If you’re inspired to take part in the abseil yourself this year you can sign up at https://www.abseil.scot.    

Stephanie Wilks, Community, Events and Corporate Fundraiser for Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland said: “We thank Charles for his participation in the 2025 Forth Bridge Abseil and wish him all the best in his fundraising and on the day.   

“Every pound raised through fundraising helps CHSS to support the one in five people in Scotland who are living with chest, heart and stroke conditions and Long Covid to live life to the full.   

“It helps us to provide advice and support through our free Advice Line service, stroke nurses, online health information, support groups, supported self management courses and much more.” 

If you’re living with the effects of a chest, heart or stroke condition or Long Covid and are looking for advice and information, please contact Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland’s Advice Line on 0808 801 0899. You can also text ADVICE to 66777 or email adviceline@chss.org.uk.