The Department for Child Protection’s Deputy Chief Executive will abseil from the top of a city hotel this month – all in support of children in care.

“I put out a call for people from DCP to join me on it but there haven’t been any other volunteers,” Darian Shephard-Bayly jokes.

Darian is among more than 200 people expected to abseil down the side of the InterContinental Adelaide on North Tce, as part of the Adelaide City Plunge (external site) (external site) on 30 August.

The event will raise funds for five charities, and Darian has elected to support Puddle Jumpers, which runs school holiday camps for children in care.

Finding the courage to take the plunge from atop the hotel, which sits 25 storeys above North Tce, will be no mean feat.

“I’m not great with heights,” Darian says.

“I did request to be first because I don’t want to be hanging around all day.

“The longer I wait, I might not jump – the anxiety will build. Maybe I won’t get past the medical and we’ll have to find someone else!”

Darian wanted to take part after seeing the impact Puddle Jumpers can make on young lives during a visit to one of its school holiday camps, which provide peer support and help develop leadership skills.

“They’re an organisation that goes the extra mile for children and young people,” he says.

People can donate to Darian’s fundraising bid through the Adelaide City Plunge website (external site) (external site).

The Plunge is Puddle Jumpers’ major annual fundraiser, raising about $120,000 for the charity. After previously personally participating, this year, founder Melanie Tate is passing the baton to her husband and two sons, aged 16 and 18.

“I’ve done it three times myself, and three times, I’ve cried – I don’t think it gets any easier,” she says.

“I asked my 16-year-old if he was scared and he said, ‘These kids go through scary things each day so those of us who are not having to go through scary things every day – why wouldn’t we do this for them?’”

Children and young people benefit from Puddle Jumpers’ camps in various ways, such as through making friends with other children in care, to having the courage to safely spend time away from their carers, and developing skills in public speaking.

At the most recent camp, Melanie said 10 former participants returned as mentors for younger campers.