Mission accomplished

Our non-exec director and Trustee Dick Beath has successfully completed a fundraising skydive to raise money for PaP. Dick’s jump took place on the morning of the 12^th of May, starting from the oldest airfield in England, Netheravon Airfield near Warminster. The plane was a Cessna Caravan, a single-engine turboprop which is the same model of plane used worldwide by the Missionary Aviation Fellowship. The jump itself took place from 13,000 feet.

Dick went up with a team of 13 people, all with varying levels of expertise. For safety reasons, Dick was required to make the jump together with a qualified instructor. Describing the experience, he wrote that there were “three definite stages, starting off by falling out above the clouds where it was quite cold. We were going directly head down. Then there was the flat stage with hands out and then the floating stage under the canopy. It was all very interesting to me”.

Dick had a long and successful career in the British Infantry where he was promoted to acting Major. Nowadays, Dick is the Head of investment and planning at the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership while acting as a volunteer chaplain at the RUH Bath. He also appears regularly on local radio discussing both his work and his faith. Although he is a qualified pilot, this was the first time he has ever completed a skydive. His wife Cherry was with him on the day and the event was publicised by her through Facebook.

Fundraising events such as this are vital when it comes to funding our  charitable work. In regards to Dick taking the time to do this for us, our  Chair of Trustees Bill Huxley wrote that “We are very proud of Dick, a man who pushes through barriers to make a difference to so many”.   Volunteers such as Dick who are willing to go to such lengths to raise money for PaP make a huge difference to the lives of people living in poverty around the world. Well done Dick!