Dare Devil Batley Care Home Duo Raise Over £1300 With Charity Skydive

Two daredevil care home employees from Batley care home, Lydgate Lodge, took to the Yorkshire skies on Saturday (25 May) to take part in their very first sky dive, raising an impressive £1300 for the Alzheimer’s Society.

Deputy manager Sharon Hudson, who has worked at the home since March 2016, along with Ideal Carehomes operational trainer, Caroline Williams, performed the jump with the Bridlington-based Skydive GB. They were assisted by senior carer Claire Robson who organised the activity and managed the extensive programme of fundraising.

With a drop zone over the East Yorkshire coastline, the fearless duo saw famous landmarks including Flamborough Head and Scarborough’s golden sands from a 10,000 foot vantage point.

Sharon said: “The Alzheimer’s Society is a cause very close to all our hearts. We knew that in order to raise a significant amount of money we’d have to do something big and so the idea of a sky dive was born. It’s been a life-changing experience and I’m still high on adrenaline three days later! We are so appreciative of the support given by our wonderful colleagues, residents and their families.”

Caroline, 46, added: “I must admit to a few second thoughts as we were going up in the plane but once we jumped the feelings of exhilaration just kicked in and I cheered and screamed all the way down. What an utterly incredible experience it has been for both of us – I feel very fortunate to have jumped over such a stunning location and to do this whilst raising money for such an incredibly worthy charity.”

Gary Kent, Lydgate Lodge’s home manager, commented: “We are all bursting with pride! Sharon and Caroline are two very brave ladies and they have shown such spirit and enthusiasm for this jump. We are also incredibly grateful to Claire who has spent so much of her own time on the ground making it happen.

“In the UK today over 850,000 are affected by dementia and its essential that we help organisations like the Alzheimer’s Society fund research into helping people living with the condition. £1300 is an incredible amount of money and on behalf of everyone at Lydgate Lodge and Ideal Carehomes I’d like to say a huge big thank you to everyone who has donated and to our daredevils for showing us that anything is possible!”