As many of you know I retired on 6 May. I received a fantastic retirement gift of a tandem skydive. I am excited about jumping out of an aeroplane but also have a bit of trepidation, however the more I thought about things I wanted to do this whilst raising funds for the Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA UK). This is a charity close to my and my wife Julie’s heart. Julie became very sick in April 2020 and was taken into the Royal Derby Hospital with heart failure. She was diagnosed with Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) and referred to the Specialist Unit in Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire. What a fantastic team of people they are and they really have compassion and look after Julie very well. Additionally, Julie joined the PHA UK as a member and they provided her with information at a time when she really needed that invisible arm around her to help her understand PH. 

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is rare, serious and misunderstood. It has a huge impact on people’s lives, and the PHA UK is dedicated to reducing that burden through support, advice, information and advocacy. They raise awareness and fund research to provide better treatments, with the hope of one day finding a cure for this devastating disease. The PHA UK receives no government funding, so every penny donated plays a vital role in helping them support people to live better lives with PH.