Inspirational skydiver raises more than £8,000 for eating disorder charity

Meg Aston, from Staffordshire, wanted to raise money for Beat, the UK’s eating disorder charity, after suffering with a disorder for four years.

Meg did her skydive above Shrewsbury last weekend and raised over 16 times her original target of £500.

She said: "I know how debilitating it can be to live with an eating disorder and I had a strong desire to do something to help as many people dealing with this horrible illness.

"I chose to do a skydive because going into hospital to battle anorexia was the hardest, most terrifying thing I have ever and will ever do in my life. In comparison, a skydive seemed manageable."

Meg now recognises it took years for her to realise that she was unwell.

She said: "Initially I was just being very cautious about what I was eating, but eventually it got to the point where food was my biggest fear, and I couldn't imagine a life without the eating disorder.

"At the start of the pandemic, I finally went to the doctors and was admitted to a day clinic. Unfortunately I still couldn’t recognise that I was unwell and had no option but to be admitted as an inpatient in November 2020.

"It was a seven month admission where I learnt that life is worth living and that recovery is possible. I was extremely lucky that I was admitted as it saved my life. Now I can see that a life without the illness is possible, and that I am so much better without it."

Meg hopes her experience will encourage others to access help as soon as possible.

She added: "I want to help make sure people can get the support that they need before they get to a stage like I did where I ended up in hospital. This would help not only the person with the eating disorder but also their family, as it impacts them just as much."

Rachael Bramwell, community fundraising officer at Beat said: 'We are so grateful for Meg's dedication to raising awareness of eating disorders. During the pandemic we have seen a massive increase in demand for our support services, and this donation will help us to continue our essential work helping people with eating disorders.’

Donate to Meg’s skydive via her JustGiving page at justgiving.com/fundraising/meg-aston.