My story

More background on our JG blog

IT WAS AWESOME GOOD FUN. JUMPED AT FOUR PM FRI 27 JUNE. VIDEO ON YouTube (to follow) AND PICS ON Flickr. THANK YOU TO RICHARD AND ALEX AND EVERYONE AT THE HEADCORN PARACHUTE CLUB AND THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO DONATED TO MY PAGE. Thank you to all my fabulous colleagues at Justgiving for their invaluable support and encouragement. LOVE FROM MIKE

Hello everybody, thank you for visiting my new fundraising page,

SUNDAY 1 JUNE. The adrenalin rush was there, but the clouds refused to part long enough to cut a pair of sailor's trews, so the jump is rescheduled for FRIDAY 27 JUNE. Fingers crossed and thank you again for all your generous donations.

Cousin Doris (in the middle of my photo) is helping with my fundraising and has written to me to say how pleased she is that Help the Aged are involved in the Disaster Emergency Committee's work to help the crisis in Burma, so please help Help the Aged and HelpAge international who are co-ordinating an emergency response team to ensure that older people across the worst affected areas are not forgotten by the aid effort. PLEASE MAKE A DONATION.

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On my Bucket List (things to do before I kick it!) is a parachute jump. I have always wanted to fly, so now I have decided to take the plunge and do a tandem skydive to raise money for Help the Aged.

Across the planet the human population is ageing, but this phenomenon is particularly marked in the industrial democracies. In 2002 life expectancy at birth in the UK was 75.9 years for men and 80.5 years for women.

Pictured on my page from left to right are my mother, Joan, in her eighties, our cousin Doris, in her nineties and myself, now over 21 years old. Both Joan and Doris are very fit, well and active and are enjoying their retirement after long working lives and bringing up children - who dote on them.

Not all our elderly people are as fortunate as they are and not so many of my contemporaries are as lucky as I am to have such happy and dynamic parents and relatives who are great, stimulating company and who still have so much to give. Furthermore, they are living links to our heritage. Joan, for instance, is fascinating to talk to about growing up in London in the 1920s and 1930s, her life in uniform in the WAAF during World War II, learning to drive on an air force truck and who she voted for in 1945 (neither Churchill nor Atlee as it happens).

A few facts from Help the Aged, which should put a rich country like ours to shame: 20% of UK pensioners (over 2 million people) live below the poverty line; 1 in 3 live in sub-standard accommodation; over 1 million older people cannot afford to heat their homes properly.

Please sponsor me, in part to flatter my Icarus vanity (the jumps costs about £200), but more importantly to give Help the Aged the means to help less fortunate elderly people live a better, more involved and fulfilling life.

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Help the Aged will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

So please sponsor me now!

Many thanks for your support.

Mike (a.k.a. Icarus the Birdman).

THANKS TO THE WIMBLEDON WELLS'S FOR THEIR GENEROUS OFFLINE DONATION

My gallery 2

My Teams

My company

My charity

Age UK

Age UK

Charity Registration No. 1128267

Age Concern and Help the Aged have joined forces to become Age UK – so that we can be here for everyone in later life. Without your help‚ we cannot provide the vital information‚ advice and services that help millions of older people. Please visit www.ageuk.org.uk for more information.

Donations 97

Hey, Jules tried to get me not to donate to your page, but his!

Donation by Jase on 25/11/08

£2.00

+ £0.56 Gift Aid

Mike, thanks for your help (Justgiving). I look forward to my jump!

Donation by David on 20/11/08

£5.00

+ £1.41 Gift Aid

Actually, don't you know German as well?

Donation by Jase on 15/09/08

£2.00

+ £0.56 Gift Aid

More Fiction

Donation by Matheu on 15/09/08

£2.00

More Fiction

Donation by matheu on 15/09/08

£2.00

What is french for please donate ?

Donation by Jase on 15/09/08

£2.00

+ £0.56 Gift Aid

More Fiction

Donation by Matheu on 15/09/08

£2.00

+ £0.56 Gift Aid

More Fiction

Donation by Matheu on 15/09/08

£2.00

+ £0.56 Gift Aid

More Fiction

Donation by Matheu on 15/09/08

£2.00

+ £0.56 Gift Aid

More Fiction

Donation by Matheu on 15/09/08

£2.00

+ £0.56 Gift Aid

Fact: The number 40 when spelt, is the only number that is spelt in alphabetical order!

Donation by Jase on 15/09/08

£2.00

+ £0.56 Gift Aid

Did you know that the pope was an honorary member of the Harlem Globe trotters. Fact!

Donation by Jase on 11/09/08

£2.00

+ £0.56 Gift Aid

Hey Mike, anymore jumps planned?

Donation by Jase on 04/09/08

£2.00

+ £0.56 Gift Aid

Donation by JR on 01/09/08

£2.00

+ £0.56 Gift Aid

das ist echt hammer, du traust dich was. trotzdem coole aktion! viele grüsse!

Donation by Özlem Aydogan on 23/07/08

£15.00

Jump Jump..a little higher!

Donation by Jules on 14/07/08

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

All I can say is - rather you than me ... Great pics!

Donation by Mary V. on 09/07/08

£10.00

Hey Mike

Donation by Matheu on 03/07/08

£5.00

+ £1.41 Gift Aid

Well done!

Donation by Arthur & Margaret on 02/07/08

£20.00

Well done (video looks amazing!). Thanks for sorting webpage for me yesterday!

Donation by Caron on 02/07/08

£5.00

+ £1.41 Gift Aid

well done!!

Donation by Matthew knights on 01/07/08

£2.00

+ £0.56 Gift Aid

Like a bird! Fantastic! Well done Mike. The video was pure joie de vivre!

Donation by Nick on 01/07/08

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

Fantastic amazing welldone Mike.Grace says can you come for a sleepover.

Donation by TomLouiseMatildaMaeveNwlaLilyGraceClemen on 30/06/08

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

Geronimo!

Donation by TattooCharlie on 30/06/08

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

Well done Mike! I must say I wouldn't fancy jumping myself.

Donation by Tony Pearson on 30/06/08

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

Donation summary

  • * Online donations£1,155.00
  • Offline donations£170.00
  • Text donations£0.00
  • Total raised£1,325.00
  • Gift Aid£208.15

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