RICHARD HOUSE CHILDREN'S HOSPICE

After numerous attempts/postponements due to weather etc and clocking up 850 miles driving to and fro to March in Cambridgeshire, on Thursday, 2 April 2009 - I DID IT.

It was an outstanding experience.  Having waited for so long I was excited and raring to go and decided not to think about it too much even up to shuffling to the edge of the plane.  Then hanging outside of it whilst attached to my fabulously inspiring instructor Bryn, I thought - "nope I won't look down".  Then off we went - oh my.  I shake my head at the thought of it, nothing can prepare you for the sensation of plummeting 13,000ft at 125mph during freefall.  I was scared, petrified, excited, exhilarated.  Though safe in the knowledge that I could put all my trust in Bryn.  When Bryn opened the parachute, that was another surprising sensation which caused a few more shrieks.  Then, gliding through the clouds like a bird was just wonderfully blissful.  Upon landing, my little legs felt like jelly.  The adrenalin rush is astonishing.

The whole experience was simply awesome.  Visually spectacular, physically amazing and probably the most liberating challenging experience I will ever have (until I do it again ).  It was worth the eight month wait, and springtime is a good time for new experiences.

Feel the fear and do it anyway.  I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Sam and Russell at The North London Parachute Centre for their help over the last eight months in ensuring my day went ahead.  Very special thanks to Bryn AKA Life Coach in the Clouds.  And Tom, cameraman/photographer who completed his 1000th dive on my drop.

Alternatively, click on this link to see all the pics taken on the day:

http://ukskydiving.com/myskydive/BNJAMZH/

Or, if you have the stomach for it, here is my link for Sharon's Skydive The Movie on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCTKkqBUGUk

But most of all - thank you to you for your very generous donations.  I thought of you all yesterday and am very grateful to you.  I now volunteer at Richard House Children's Hospice on a weekly basis.  They are a fabulous team and are extremely grateful for your donations.  The amount you have donated is the equivalent of paying for a care and play worker's salary for a month.

So, if you decide to take the plunge and raise some money for a good cause - I'll be cheering you on.

Love & Peace

Sharon.

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IF YOU HAVE FRIENDS OR COLLEAGUES WHO MAY BE INTERESTED IN MAKING A DONATION TO RICHARD HOUSE HOSPICE VIA MY SITE, PLEASE FORWARD ON MY LINK.  DONATIONS CAN BE MADE UP UNTIL 31 MAY 2009 - THANK YOU.

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Thank you for visiting my fundraising page.

I will be raising funds for the Richard House Trust, London's first children's hospice.  Please help me achieve over and above my target and I thank you in advance for your time and your generosity.

I will be doing a tandem skydive from approx 10,000ft - 13,000ft - ah yes, I've always had my head in the clouds.  With your support I know I will have the courage to achieve my goal of raising £1000+ for Richard House.

Richard House is London's first ever children's hospice and has been providing care and support for life-limited and life-threatened children and their families since the year 2000.  They accompany the families during the child's or young person's journey through life or death, creating positive experiences along the way which become good memories for the future, and this is what stems their core purpose, "Living for today, creating positive memories for tomorrow."

The money the supporters, the community and their events raise aid the care staff to carry out their duties and provide all the necessary equipment and their costs for the children, to make their stay or visit fun, active and therapeutic.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Richard House Trust gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

Many thanks once again for your generosity and support which I really do appreciate.

Love & Peace

Sharon.   AKA - Woman with fear of heights!

sharonhoye@hotmail.com

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Many thanks for your offline donations:

£20.00 - Best of luck - Najwa Abou-Zaki-Thabet

£10.00 - I think you're really brave! - Sue Cato

£20.00 - Angela, Michael, Connor and Wallis

£30.00 - Lily and John Strutton

£20.00 - Kay and Peter

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£90.00 - Skydive Deposit - Paid for by me.