Video: 70 bankers take the plunge down the HSBC building in Birmingham city centre - all for a good cause

In a bid to raise thousand of pounds to support young people throughout the UK, over 70 banking daredevils - from new grads to senior leaders - have abseiled down the 10 storey atrium inside HSBCs headquarters in Centenary Square.

The abseiling bankers are raising funds for The Prince’s Trust Million Makers - a dragons’ den style fundraising challenge which sees teams of employees, from companies across the UK, compete to turn up to £1,500 of seed funding into £10,000 or more for The Prince’s Trust.

HSBC in Birmingham has already smashed it’s £10,000 target - and they are only half way through the challenge. The money will be used to help vulnerable people and young people to access training - with some getting the chance to work at HSBC.

The Million Makers initiative is recommended as a great way to learn new skills, stay connected and have fun,

Teams deliver a fundraising project from start to finish – writing a business plan, pitching for seed funding investment, and delivering their initiatives over the course of six months.

Megan McAllister, Commercial Banking Graduate, says:

“It’s 44 meters in total, quite a long way! They’re abseiling down to raise funds for the Prince’s trust. It’s part of Team Compass’s efforts in the million makers challenge, which is a challenge run by, and in aid of, the Prince’s Trust.”

“The challenge runs for six months. So we started the organisation back in August, and now we’re in mid-November, so it’s been a couple of months of organising, of getting lots of people signed up, lots of people donating. We had a £10k target donation for the abseil and we have already smashed that.”

Sarah Anderson, Business Analyst on the HSBC graduate scheme, said:

“So the funds are going to the Prince’s Trust and they help young people. So that could be between the ages of 18 - 30 in the UK. So the key reason that they fundraise is so that vulnerable people, young people, can go into education or training, and that is also partnered with HSBC. So some young people will get the chance to work at HSBC as well.”

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