A HOSPICE based in St Asaph will be holding a charity tandem sky dive on Saturday, September 25.

The event, which will be hosted by Tilstock Airfield in Whitchurch, will raise money for St Kentigern Hospice, a charity providing care and support for patients with any life-limiting condition and their families.

A total of five people, who are among those St Kentigern calls their ‘Hospice Champions’, have so far signed up to the sky dive, which will see them freefall at more than 120mph from an aircraft overlooking the Shropshire countryside, with the help of a tandem instructor.

As well as Ray Faulder-Jones and Wesley Cassidy, also sky diving are three women from Salisburys Accountants North Wales; Sally Williams, Toni Warren and Sian Sparkes.

Sian said: “We have all lost loved ones and my special link with the hospice is that they took wonderful care of my mother-in-law, Dianne Sparkes, a few years ago.

“The hospice were amazing looking after Dianne, and their aftercare was brilliant.”

Sally added: “My motivation for doing the skydive is that it will be an unforgettable experience and for a great cause”.

They will all enjoy a 20-minute flight to 10,000 feet, with breathtaking views of the Wirral, Liverpool, Snowdon and beyond to be seen, before exiting the aircraft and experiencing the most exhilarating fall.

Their parachutes will open at 5,000 feet, enabling them to float gently to the ground.

Wendy Clark, community and events fundraiser at St Kentigern, said: “They’ll have a brief training session before jumping, meet who they’re going to tandem skydive with, go up in a tiny little plane, reach the height and all jump out separately.

“Some are doing it in memory of (someone); some, it’s a challenge for them. But all the money comes directly to the hospice, which helps us because it’s obviously been a really bad couple of years.

“We’re more focused on it (charity sky dive) now. It’s not a new thing, but in the two-and-a-half years since I’ve been here, there hasn’t been an actual day for it. People have done it off their own backs.

“It costs about £5,300 (a day) to run the hospice. It goes straight back into the hospice to help the community that we serve. It helps keep our doors open, so we’re really grateful.”

Those taking part have had to meet a minimum requirement of £500 raised. For more information, visit: www.stkentigernhospice.org.uk/event/sky-dive-for-st-kentigern-hospice.

St Kentigern is already organising another sky dive event for 2022. To register your interest, please email Wendy at: w.clark@stkentigernhospice.org.uk.