HAMPSHIRE'S own TV gardening celebrity, Charlie Dimmock, had her feet firmly off the ground when she rose to a charity abseiling challenge.

The star of BBC's Ground Force took the plunge on Saturday alongside blind Hampshire man Paul Winchcombe, in an effort to help raise £20,000 for the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB).

Organisers were confident of reaching their target - thanks to the efforts of 120 volunteer abseilers.

Her feet firmly back on terra firma after her 100ft descent, Charlie told the Daily Echo: "It was very fun. The worst bit was just as you go up and step over the bar at the top of the tower.

"I went down with Paul and he was good. It was nice having someone else who hadn't done it before so you could talk to each other."

Paul, 36, of Dunvegan Drive, Lordswood, Southampton, said: "It was very enjoyable, a nice experience. I'm doing it again in September for the Guide Dogs for the Blind down the side of Millbrook Towers, which is quite a bit higher, so this was pretty good practice."

And another man who didn't let physical disability stop him from taking up the challenge was Tim Griffith, of Alverstoke, Gosport, who has two artificial legs.

Tim, 45, whose legs were amputated below the knee after a road accident, said: "I was a mountain and rock-climbing instructor in the army and I can still climb better than most people do.

"This is a breeze. It's a bit of fun starting off though because your legs don't bend like everyone else's, so you have to just fall off the edge and then get yourself together."

One strong contender for the top fundraiser prize - a meal for two at TGI Friday's in Southampton - was Amanda Hillyear from Thornhill.

Amanda, 32, who raised £1,170 in sponsorship, said: "I put in an application to my employers, the Yorkshire Building Society, for a donation and they gave me £1,000, and the rest I raised myself.

"I'm always up for a challenge and it'' a good cause."

Another £1,018 was raised by a team from Millbrook Bedding, who were Karen Rolle, Shaun King, Alexis Sugrue, Theresa Mattingley, Andrew Longland, Anna Terris, Heather Biggs, Jane Marks, Julie Clements and Richard Kelsey.

An RNIB spokesman said: "The money goes to the RNIB which supports blind people who live nationally as well as locally.

"The support we provide includes services in schools, employment, providing audio-described videos, support workers in hospitals including eight in Hampshire, and talking books - of which we have hundreds in Hampshire."