A group of carers at HC-One's Market Lavington care home, on the northern edge of Salisbury Plain, in Wiltshire, have been raising money for a hospice by doing a sponsored sky dive.
Jenny Eyles, Jane Galvin, and Jasmine Simmonds – known as ‘the Flying Js’- are colleagues at HC-One’s Market Lavington care home in Market Lavington near Devizes, providing residential, nursing and dementia care to up to 79 residents.
The group took part in the daredevil drop on Saturday 21st September, at Go Skydive in Old Sarum, Salisbury.
The group were jumping in aid of Dorothy House Hospice, a charity that covers Bath and northeast Somerset and provides palliative and end of life care to adults with a progressive, treatable but not curable life-limiting illness or with severe frailty, as well as their families and carers.
In recent months staff at Market Lavington care gome have been supporting the cause by organising coffee afternoons, cake sales and raffles to help raise money. Residents at the home, and their families, have also been involved in the fundraising activities.
On the day of the jump, a group of residents accompanied the skydivers to the GoSkydive site in Salisbury, taking a packed lunch and drinks to ensure they were able to fully lend their support.
Despite the rain, residents had their flags at the ready when the Flying J’s’ took to the skies and tandem jumped from 15,000 feet out of their small aircraft, landing safely back on the ground. In total, over £2,000 has been raised for Dorothy House Hospice by Market Lavington Care Home.
Speaking after her jump, Home Manager and Flying J, Jasmine, said:
“It was a wonderful day and to see so many people from Market Lavington Care Home join us and lend us their support was really special.”
Jenny Eyles, another of the Flying J’s, said:
“We had the most amazing time and for such an amazing cause. It was lovely to have the resident watching and supporting us.”
Market Lavington resident Sue Slark said:
“It was a marvellous day, there were so many people there supporting their loved ones and friends. I am so glad I went along to support”.
Market Lavington resident Janice Read said:
“The atmosphere was wonderful, everyone was so chatty and kind to everyone, I had a really lovely time”.
Resident Malcolm Kirby, who spoke to the Flying J’s before they set off, said:
“I have jumped 11 times, being in the military, so it was nice to be involved in something like that again, giving the ladies pep talks before they jumped”.