MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Two weeks late, but I did it!  Saturday 29 September, I actually jumped out of a plane!  What an experience!  Scary, but I'm glad I did it!  Thanks a lot to everyone who sponsored me.  This page will stay up till mid-November if anyone else would like to chip in.

Thank you for visiting my fundraising page. Please dig deep and sponsor me online.

People who know me well will be surprised when they find out I'm doing a solo parachute jump for charity, considering that I make no secret of the fact that I suffer from acrophobia (fear of heights).  It's no joke, I get nervous standing on a chair, and sitting in the upper circle of a theatre can be downright terrifying!  So why have I decided to jump out of a perfectly good plane while it's still in the air?  A couple of reasons.  Firstly, a phobia's a weakness, and I reckon it's about time I conquered this irrational fear.  If I can bring myself to face jumping out of a plane at several thousand feet, I can do anything. 

Secondly (but much more importantly), a few months ago a friend of mine died of cancer after having spent most of the last two years of her life in hospital.  She died a few days before what should have been her 51st birthday, and it wasn't a pleasant way to go out.  I wouldn't wish it on anyone.  Cancer's a terrible disease and it kills about one in eight people.  There was some talk at Sue's wake about doing something for charity in her honour, and it seemed to me that the best thing to raise money for would be cancer research, in the hope of saving people from this horrible death in the future.  We all have to die sooner or later, of course, but cancer's one of the worst ways to go that I know of.

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: North West Cancer Research Fund will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.  I've also set up a blog, which I hope to keep updated with my preparations for the jump:

http://stuartheal.blogspot.com

So please sponsor me now!  According to the World Health Organisation, about 13% of the worlds population ends up dying of cancer, so your donation could end up saving your own life.  Please pay whatever you can afford.

Many thanks for your support.

UPDATE

I went for the training last Saturday, which I quite enjoyed, unfortunately the wind was blowing a bit too fast for beginners on their first jump.  So the people at Black Knights Parachute Centre said to come back to do the jump when the weather was more settled.  Not having anything else to do the next day, I took a chance and went back up there, only to find the weather was even worse.  Having paid for the course, I can take the jump anytime, but obviously I want to take it as early as possible - I'm actually looking forward to it now!  It's looking doubtful, but hopefully the weather will have taken a change for the better this coming Sunday - if not, I'll just keep going back until I get my chance to jump.  Meanwhile, this page will remain open for a few more weeks, in case anyone wants to make a donation.