Paul Dooley of Adelphi Lodge No 6819 is well used to being on the floor of the lodge as director of ceremonies, often with the advice to always proceed forward with the left foot. In a complete contradiction, Paul stepped off backwards from the roof of the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, remembering to start off with his left foot of course, but this time from a great height!
The cancer centre is the charity’s flagship hospital in central Liverpool. The 11-storey building has state-of-the-art facilities and delivers a wide range of highly-specialist care including pioneering chemotherapy, immunotherapy, stem cell (bone marrow), transplant and radiotherapy.
Paul was taking part, along with many other dare devils, in a sponsored abseil event at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Liverpool on behalf of the charity. Standing at just over 44 metres, this was no mere challenge and not for the faint hearted or perhaps those with a fear of heights. Confidently rappelling down the outside of the building and with support from onlookers both outside and those inside the building, peering through the windows the challenge was completed. The event was a great success and raised £72,000.
The charity and hospital are very close to Paul’s heart. Following a serious diagnosis in February 2022, he underwent lifesaving treatment at the hospital and is currently nearing the end of a two-year clinical trial of a new vaccine, the results of which have been very positive. As he’s never felt so fit and well, he decided he wanted to start giving something back. The abseil proved a great opportunity to start doing this.
The work that the clinical trials team do is groundbreaking. All the different cures and treatments we now have in the fight against cancer, once started out as trials. Paul was surprised to learn that the salaries of some of the doctors on the clinical trial team, who have looked after him so well, are paid for entirely by the charity. This is why funding is so vital and the sponsored event helps to pay for that research.
The abseil captured the attention of his many sponsors. Paul was overwhelmed, though not surprised, by the kindness and generosity of his brothers and companions in Freemasonry who as always, gave so freely.