TWO of Oxford’s most esteemed figures have been roped into a daring abseil off the John Radcliffe for a number of the hospital’s charities.

Not wanting to let themselves down, Sir Christopher Ball and Lady Pippa Baldry have signed up for the event in September to raise cash.

Fundraisers can take part in the 100ft abseil from the top of the Women’s Centre for The Oxford Children’s Hospital, The Cancer and Haematology Day Treatment Unit and Outpatients Fund, head and neck cancer research group Heads Up, or the Silver Star Society, which helps a unit for mothers with complications during pregnancy.

Lady Baldry, the chair of the Children’s Hospital Benefactors’ Board, hopes to conquer her fear of heights in support of the charity.

She said: “I can’t quite believe I’m doing it.

“I’m terrified of heights and at the thought of having to step backwards off that roof.

“Hopefully that will mean I get more sponsorship for the Children’s Hospital, which does such brilliant work for so many incredible brave children.”

Lady Baldry, who is married to former Banbury MP Sir Tony, added: “If you caught the eye of a just one child in any of the children’s wards you would jump off any number of roofs [to help them].

“It’s worthwhile for a few minutes or perhaps a few weeks of being terrified.”

September’s abseil might come a little easier to former Keble College warden Sir Christopher Ball, who was in the Parachute Regiment when he did his national service.

The 80-year-old urged people to join in and help the fundraising effort.

He said: “We should all be enormously proud of our national health service, it’s one of the things that keeps the word ‘Great’ in Great Britain.

“It’s not possible for the Government and taxpayers to provide all the funds it needs to continue to be a world class service.

“We have to come to its aid. We can either sit about and whinge or we can get stuck in and do something.

“That’s what I will be thinking about when I step backwards off that building in September.”

The father-of-six said the Oxford Children’s Hospital was an important charity for him and his wife Wendy to support.

He said Lady Ball spent some time in hospital as a child and had suffered a bad experience of loneliness during it.

He said: “We were members of the National Association for Women and Children in Hospital when our children were young in the 1960s.

“We were concerned that children should have their parents with them and of course it is normal practice today.

“It’s great to be asked so late in life to support the children’s hospital.”

Oxford Children’s Hospital spokeswoman Sarah Vaccari said: “Our abseils are fabulous fun and raise many thousands every year for important hospital causes.

“We are delighted that Sir Christopher and Lady Baldry are supporting the Children’s Hospital in this exciting way and hope they will inspire others to sign up for the event on September 20.”

The abseil costs £20 to enter and anyone over 18 can take part.

* For more information and to sign up, go to hospitalcharity.co.uk/abseils or call 01865 743444.