On Saturday 12th May, 11 brave employees from our ‘Charity of the Year’ corporate supporters, Knight Group and Perrywoods Garden Centre and Nursery, took part in a tandem free fall skydive from 13,000 feet. Their goal was to raise funds for the charity but also to raise awareness during Mental Health Awareness Week.
Graham from Knight Group commented “when the Knight Group decided on Mid and North East Essex Mind as the charity to support this year I thought it was an excellent choice. The significance of this choice was brought home to me when my nephew was recently sectioned under the mental health act. As he was only 20 years old this came as a shock to all the family. He had been showing signs of stress and anxiety for a while but no one knew how ill he was until he suffered a full break down. Thankfully he has now been released and is making a slow recovery with the help of counsellors, so I am now fully aware of the good work groups like Mid and North East Essex Mind undertake. I am pleased to be able to help in a small way by doing this parachute jump to raise money and awareness for this charity.”
Tanya Gates from Perrywoods said ‘I did it because it’s something I’ve always wanted to do since my dad did it. And what better reason to raise money than for such a good cause!’
The skydivers even surpassed their original fundraising target and in total raised over £12,000 for the charity.
Jenny MacPherson, Community Partnerships Fundraiser, says “we want to thank all of our very brave skydivers for taking on this challenge during Mental Health Awareness Week and raising such a fantastic amount for our organisation. This will go a long way in helping us to support those in the local area who are experiencing a mental health problem – thank you also to everyone who supported the team by donating and cheering them on!”
If you would like to take part in your very own skydive, you can do so by visiting Skyline’s website here and use the ‘charity selector’ to find Mid and North East Essex Mind listed under the ‘Mental and Physical Conditions’ category.
Minimum sponsorship amount for a tandem skydive is £395.
…In the words of Selina Hammond from Perrywoods Garden Centre: ‘What better way to raise money and support for such a great charity than to jump 13,000 feet out of a plane!’
