This was the brainchild of the wonderful Shelagh Minshall - such a great friend to my late Mum for so many years.

“I’m doing a SkyDive to celebrate my 80th birthday, darling,” said Shelagh. “And I’d like to do it in aid of CF - do you know anyone who might do it with me?”

Gulp…

As many of you know, our gorgeous youngest daughter Xanthe combines filling every available silence with living with Cystic Fibrosis.

CF is a life-limiting genetic condition, which primarily affects the lungs, digestive system and other organs in the body. While huge progress has been made in recent years, it remains an incurable disorder and so much more research is required.

Xanthe is the sparkiest seven year old, and is incredibly stoic in the face of a daily routine that includes at least 30 pills, insulin injections (diabetes is a common added complication), two rounds of physio, nebuliser, and much more.

Her doctors and nurses at the Royal Brompton are a truly inspiring team, utterly devoted to a highly specialised cause.

We have tried when possible to raise as much as we can to improve the lives of the 11,000 people in Britain with Cystic Fibrosis.

And if the idea of me hurling myself out of a plane makes you smile, it would be great if you could help us out. It would mean so much to me and the rest of the skydiving team, Shelagh, John, Kate, Henry and our great friend Alex Greaves. Thank you so much.