Raised: 132%
Target: £1,000.00
Raised so far: £1,317.00
Donate now

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.

======

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

I'm glad you picked a good charity! Donation by Jase 07/04/08  

£2.00 + £0.56 Gift Aid

Nearly complete now! Donation by Jase 07/04/08  

£2.00 + £0.56 Gift Aid

Va Bene! Donation by Jase 07/04/08  

£2.00 + £0.56 Gift Aid

What do you use Bold or Persil? Donation by Jase 07/04/08  

£2.00 + £0.56 Gift Aid

You must like transitional relief! Donation by Jase 07/04/08  

£2.00 + £0.56 Gift Aid

Surprise! Donation by Jase 06/04/08  

£2.00 + £0.56 Gift Aid

See you on Monday! Donation by Jase 05/04/08  

£2.00 + £0.56 Gift Aid

I'm thinking of going to the cinema tonight. Any suggestions? Donation by Jase 05/04/08  

£2.00 + £0.56 Gift Aid

So what did you think of the Two Ronnies? I thought they were great! Donation by Jase 05/04/08  

£2.00 + £0.56 Gift Aid

You're missing the friday facts! Donation by Jase 05/04/08  

£2.00 + £0.56 Gift Aid

That's a nice photo. :) Donation by Jase 05/04/08  

£2.00 + £0.56 Gift Aid

You get a lot of money on Saturday. Donation by Jase 05/04/08  

£2.00 + £0.56 Gift Aid

Working on a Saturday. Donation by Jase 05/04/08  

£2.00

You're getting closer to your target! Donation by Jase 05/04/08  

£2.00

Slow is good...particularly at touchdown! Donation by Andy 04/04/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Think of us while you're up there Donation by Daniele 01/04/08  

£20.00

Please be careful, I don't like this .,.... Donation by Jesper 31/03/08  

£50.00

Stay away from the sun, Icarus meboy! Donation by Kevin 22/03/08  

£2.00

Me again Mikey! Donation by Gasoine 19/03/08  

£2.00 + £0.56 Gift Aid

Guess who? Donation by Gasoine 19/03/08  

£2.00 + £0.56 Gift Aid

Go for it! Donation by Marianna 13/03/08  

£25.00

Good luck Mike. Be careful. We need you on helpdesk! Donation by Kai Chan Vong 12/03/08  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

I am very impressed, the best of luck! Donation by Gareth 12/03/08  

£50.00

Look forward to the pics... Donation by Sophie 12/03/08  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

How did the blind parachutist know when he was about to hit the ground? The dog's lead went slack. (I'll be here all week...!) Donation by Jen Foster-Hall 11/03/08  

£30.00 + £8.46 Gift Aid

I jumped and it was the most amazing experience, you will love it!! Good luck with the fundraising. Donation by Jacqueline Crane 10/03/08  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Please take the poodles with you Donation by Zeb and Lulu 09/03/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

But Mike...Icarus fell! It was the bucket for him! Still, I guess you won't get anywhere near the sun in Maidstone and will have a great time! Donation by Mia 09/03/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Don't use anything that melts to attach yourself to the 'chute Donation by John & Bev 09/03/08  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

I'd have to be in tandem with George Clooney to even consider this.... Donation by Jacqui Flo 09/03/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid
Donate now
 
* Total raised online: £1,147.00
  Offline donations: £170.00
  Gift Aid plus supplement: £205.89

* Charities pay a small fee for our service.
Find out how much it is and what we do for it.