Paul Thurgood and George Wilkinson work at Morrisons in Yate, who earlier this year announced their partnership with Together for Short Lives. Together for Short Lives is the only charity that supports the 54 children’s hospices across the UK, including Jessie May.
On Saturday 30th July, Paul and George both completed an epic and adrenaline-fueled #TeamJessie skydive, and have collectively raised an incredible £2,500 in support of Jessie May and for children and families facing a life-limiting and life-threatening diagnosis!
Our Community Engagement Fundraising Officer, Charlotte met with them earlier this week to hear all about their sky-high adventure.
Paul was joined on the day by his son Josh, who’s favourite animal is bats, and was so excited to hear that his Dad had been flying through the air from 10,000ft! Josh had been cheering Paul on whilst learning to backflip in the Cornish seas, he may have been able to see him from up there you know! Being Paul’s first time, he was super nervous about his skydive but found the GoSkydive team reassuring and full of energy and ‘banter’. He showed us his video (which you can view below) and explained the huge mixture of excitement and apprehension he felt in the run up to the big leap as well as the relief and pure joy of having completed this bucket list item for such a great cause.
As a pro on the Skydiving field, 3rd timer George decided to go for the epic 15,000ft leap and found that he enjoyed this one the most! He expressed that the minute free fall was his favourite aspect of the skydive, and knowing that he was doing it to make a real difference to local children and their families made it all the more special. With views reaching out to the Isle of Wight and having taken in the sights of Salisbury cathedral and Stonehenge, George felt that the extra nerves of flying a further 5,000ft were well worth it.
Charlotte expressed her thanks to both Paul and George for their incredible dedication; “Alongside the Yate Morrisons store Charity Champion, Michelle, Paul and George have worked hard to raise an incredible amount for Jessie May and Together for Short Lives. The combined total of £2,500 raised so far will fund over 36 hours of specialist nursing support to ensure children and families are able to make the most of the short time they have together. We cannot thank you enough Paul and George, what a gesture!”
You can continue to support Paul and George by making a donation via their GivePenny pages.
Inspired by Paul and George? Book your Skydive with #TeamJessie by visiting our SkyDive event page, or visit our events page for all other charity challenges we’ve got going on over the coming months.
They are already planning to take on a wing walk next – so watch this space!
You can always join in the conversation by using #TeamJessie on social media, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all the latest Jessie May news.