Thank you for visiting my Just Giving page.

During the pandemic, we have all endured a huge amount of disruption, difficulty and often loss.

Few sectors have had a harder time than charities – and for me, nothing brought this home more than speaking to Karen Sugarman from Shooting Star Children’s Hospices.

For those who aren’t familiar with Shooting Star Children’s Hospices, this fantastic charity cares – free of charge – for babies, children and young people who may have been born with life-limiting progressive conditions, have cancer, or have undiagnosed conditions with complex symptoms.

They operate two hospices, in Hampton and Guildford, supporting families from diagnosis to end of life and throughout bereavement, with a range of nursing, practical, emotional and medical care. In all, Shooting Star Children’s Hospices supports 700 families throughout Surrey (including in Elmbridge) and 15 London boroughs. You can find out more about the amazing work the charity does here - https://www.shootingstar.org.uk/.

I’ve been involved with the charity for some time now. I’ve been touched by the devotion of their staff and volunteers and have seen how valuable the facilities at their hospices are. Like any parent, I can’t begin to imagine what families using these facilities are going through.

Shooting Star Children’s Hospices has faced a really challenging time during the pandemic. They had to cancel fundraising events and close their charity shops, while making the difficult decision to temporarily close the Hampton hospice. While they’ve shown great resilience, including organising virtual fundraising events, they remain reliant on donations and need to raise £8m a year to maintain their level of care.

When I heard this, I wanted to help. So in October (precise date tbc), I’ll be skydiving from 15,000 feet, aiming to raise at least £20,000 for this fantastic charity.

Both Shooting Star Children’s Hospices and I would be hugely grateful for any support you may be able to give. £20 could pay for a carer to spend an hour with a sibling, giving parents precious time by themselves to grieve, while £100 could help pay for a visit from a nurse during a medical emergency.

Whatever your reasons for wanting me to jump out of a plane, I hope you’ll feel able to support this excellent cause.

Best wishes,

Dominic