On Sunday 11th August I will be doing a 15,000 foot skydive out of a plane over Lancaster. It's the highest dive you can do in the UK, and I will be free-falling for a full minute before the parachute opens!!

A group of my lovely friends and family clubbed together to pay for this as a present for my 40th birthday in June, so a MASSIVE thank you to everyone who chipped in for this awesome gift!

I felt this event was a great opportunity to raise some money for Survivors Manchester, where I work as a trauma therapist. So I've created this page for anyone who would like to donate to our wonderful organisation.

Survivors Manchester works with male survivors of sexual abuse, rape and assault, helping people to recover from often devastating trauma and PTSD symptoms and live happier and more fulfilling lives. The organisation provides free trauma therapy, and a whole range of other support services, for anyone who walks through the door, no matter where they are from in the UK. Survivors Manchester relies solely on grants, fundraising campaigns and donations to keep doing this work. I have seen first-hand the positive impact this organisation has had on many people's lives and I can't overstate enough the need for Survivors Manchester and its effectiveness. 

An important part of working at Survivors Manchester for me and all the staff who are involved in the organisation, is about having conversations that validate and promote the visibility of male survivors of sexual abuse. There is a stigma around this concept that has often silenced many male survivors of sexual abuse, leading to years or decades of suffering before they feel it is OK to seek help. If all you do is read this and don't donate, that is fine too, as raising the profile of Survivors Manchester and having a public space to dispel any myths that these things don't happen to men is all part of it.

Thanks for reading this. I hope you'll support me in this terrifying but exciting endeavour and in doing so support this amazing organisation that I am so proud to be part of.

Best wishes. I'll share some pictures of the event when I've done it! 

Stuart xx