Nurses prepare for daredevil feat
A pair of daredevil nurses are taking the plunge as fundraisers by jumping out of an aeroplane at 10,000ft to raise vital funds for the charity they work for.
Ward colleagues Jo Hornsey and Rachel Preece will brave the tandem skydive in support of Severn Hospice, which cares for local families living with incurable illnesses.
The daring duo, who work on the Shrewsbury hospice’s Breidden ward, will attempt the breath-taking charity challenge at Tilstock Airfield, near Whitchurch, on March 23.
They hope to raise hundreds of pounds to help ensure the hospice can be there for future families in need of support across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin and Mid Wales.
As part of the skydive, the nurses will freefall through the air for several thousand feet before an instructor in tandem deploys the parachute and controls their landing.
Ward sister Jo, from Whittington, ran the London Marathon last year and fancied trying something different to support the hospice.
She said: “A skydive is something that I’ve always been interested in doing so to do one while raising money for the hospice is great.
“Last year I ran the marathon and was thinking about what I could to raise some money this year.
“I am nervous but looking forward to it too. It will be scary but I’m glad to be doing it with Rachel, she’s a bit more of a daredevil than me though!
“We’re both hoping to raise as much as possible so we can be there for families who need our help.”
Jo and Rachel have also organised a cake sale to take place on the ward on March 7 to help raise cash ahead of the main event.
Healthcare assistant Rachel, from Shrewsbury, is jumping in memory of her mother Liz Preece, who died in December 2010 after battling cancer.
She says although her mum didn’t receive end-of-life care with hospice, she wanted to raise cash after seeing first hand ‘how wonderful and passionate the care provided by the staff is’.
“My mum battled cancer for years; the last six months were the hardest for our family,” said Rachel. “We all supported each other through the difficult time.
“She had little involvement with Severn Hospice and that was down to her own choice. Now years have passed and I have had much more involvement with the hospice, I can see how wonderful and passionate the care provided is.
“I’m so proud to be part of the hospice team which is why I wanted to take on the skydive with Jo this month.”
To donate to Rachel's appeal go to justgiving.com/fundraising/Rachel-Preece2 or for Jo justgiving.com/fundraising/joanne-hornsey
