Hospice Supporters Skydive from 15,000 feet

Published on: 27/03/2022

Mum and Daughter (and Craig from Sun Valley Nut Co) take the plunge

Our latest brave skydivers, mum, Sian, daughter, Sophie, and Craig, from our corporate supporters, Sun Valley Nut Co, took to the skies on Saturday 26th March.

What a beautiful day it was too. Clear skies and a much warmer day than our previous supporters endured (story below* ).

Even so, it is an exceptional challenge to undertake and can we say that they all came through with, ahem, flying colours!

Craig has added a fabulous £700 to the brilliant total of donations that Sun Valley employees are racking up for the hospice (see more of their hospice support story on page 14 of our winter 2021 From the Heart newsletter here).

Sian and Sophie had raised a magnificent £950, and rising, by the time we published this account. They have a special reason for supporting the hospice which Sian told us about,

“Back in June 2018 my wonderful mum, Freda,was admitted to the hospice inpatients ward and we all felt immediately that a huge weight had been lifted. We were able to be with her every day where I saw my Mum being given the very best patient care and we were supported as a family too. On 10th July, 2018, my mum passed away so peacefully and out of pain. So, we saw it as a privilege as well as being able to express our gratitude for their service to do the skydive to raise some funds for the hospice and to remember our wonderful mum, and grandma, Freda, at the same time. Wirral Hospice St John’s will always have a special place in our hearts.”

Could you take part in our adrenalin-fuelled skydive challenge? The hospice has arranged a date on Saturday 6th August, at Tilstock Airfield in Whitchurch, for all willing participants. See the details www.wirralhospice.org/skydive and give our friendly fundraising events team a call to get your hospice ‘t’-shirts and help with ways to maximise your kind fundraising.

*The SkyDive 19 (Saturday 23rd October, 2021)

The windchill factor meant that the temperature was closer to 4C, rather than the 12C the thermometer was promising.

That, however, didn’t stop nineteen of our intrepid hospice heroes from fulfilling their brave challenge to ‘tandem leap’ (attached to an experienced parachutist) out of an aeroplane from 15,000 feet.

They’d gathered at the Black Knights Parachute Centre, near Hillam in Lancashire on a bright, but demonstrably cold, Saturday morning.

Some were chattering away their nervousness, others were ‘in the zone’, supremely confident, while a couple were quiet with their own thoughts, all building up to the exhilarating challenge ahead. In truth, their family members, who had also turned up to support, were probably more nervous!.

The Wirral Hospice St John’s Skydive 19 (see gallery below) had been able to view the earliest jump, just after 8am.

The airborne videographers, after filming their customers’ feats of courage, descended first and expertly landed on their feet – making it all look like a piece of cake. Then, descending from thousands of feet, we saw the professionals bring their human cargo in safely, “lift your feet up”, and, with a short slide across the wet grass on their backsides, they were safely on terra firma.

Soon, our first hero, Angela Yuen, was walking down the short track to the plane next to her professional skydiver. Everybody watched as the plane built up speed over the short (but bumpy, it has to be said) runway and then up, up and awaaayyyyy!!!

Ten minutes later, through the clouds, the parachutes appeared once more. As they each landed cheers went up. We knew which one was Angela because, like all of our heroes, she had her hospice ‘t’ shirt outside the three, four and even five layers they each had on to ward off the cold.

Following Angela, in teams of twos, threes and fours, off they all went for their turn… Mike Yuen, Angela’s brother, his wife, Harriet, and Brother in Law, Lex…, Hannah and Kieran…, Kate and Louise…, Mark James’s fitness squad, including his sister Kim and their friends, Victoria, Hayley, Charlotte, Jo, Kate and Sue…,. and latterly, Holly, Jeff and Jane…

Everyone had a special reason, or was supporting somebody who did, for choosing the hospice for their fundraising.

As they all set off towards the plane their Mums, Dads and friends, who had experienced the specialist care and support of the hospice were firmly in their thoughts.

They all acclaimed, recalling their own loved ones, “This one’s for you.”

Our sensational skydivers were, and always are, Hospice Heroes, in every sense. Thank You brave people.