A CHEPSTOW man braved a giant rope swing to raise more than £2,000 for specialist gym equipment.

Tom Bendall, who lives in the specialist brain injury rehabilitation centre called Castleford Lodge, used the rope swing at The National Diving and Activity Centre in Chepstow.

Mr Bendall, along with his activity co-ordinator and personal trainer, organised the feat, which took place on October 15, in order to raise funds to buy new specialist gym equipment for The Lodge.

The gym facility at the centre is one of the main things to help residents on their road to recovery physically and physiologically, following a brain injury.

Mr Bendall’s fundraising venture is deemed all the more impressive because he himself, is a current resident at the specialist centre, following an accident in 1998 and has used The Lodge’s gym facilities as part of his own programme of recovery.

On the day of the fundraiser, which was also his birthday, Mr Bendall took to a giant rope swing, in which he was strapped, and launched himself off a 70 metre cliff edge. He swung along the length of the massive 80 metre flooded quarry at Tidenham, with hundreds of supporters looking on.

Manager at The Lodge, Madeleine Parsons, said: “We are all in awe of Tom. I suspect that 99 per cent of able-bodied people wouldn’t contemplate doing such a thing.

“We’ve always seen Tom as a cheeky, positive chap and the fact that he has achieved this, shows the wealth of courage and determination that he possesses.

“We’re very proud of Tom and we’re wondering what adventure he’s going to want to do next.”