For those of you that know me, then you'll know that I'm passionate about animals, and in particular cats.  I have had a lifelong love of cats, which is why I've been a volunteer, Committee Member and Publicity Officer for the Bracknell and Wokingham Districts branch of Cats Protection for the past ten years. I am also an Advisory Council Member to Cats Protection on a national level.

For years, in my capacity as Publicity Officer, I've helped to publicise other people who have very kindly volunteered to do challenges and endeavours to raise money for the branch, and so I felt that it was about time that I should practice what I preach.

Therefore, over Christmas I decided that I too should take up a challenge to raise some much needed funds, and with that in mind, on 20th July this year, at Beccles Airfield in Suffolk, I have decided to throw myself out of an aeroplane, and do a tandem parachute jump to raise funds for the branch.

Thinking I'd be terrified if I did a parachute jump alone (static jump) I decided to opt for a tandem parachute jump. Thinking that I would be attached to a qualified, possibly hunky, instructor, who would know when to deploy the chute, or the emergency one, which I hope to god we won't need!  What I didn't realise though is that if I did a static line jump then I would be jumping from 3,000 feet, whereas a tandem jump is from 13,000 feet (or to put it another way... TWO MILES UP!). 

So, to make my endeavour worthwhile I hope that you might consider sponsoring me. Any amount at all would be enormously appreciated, and will also help my branch in turn to help the cats and kittens in its care. 

If you need any more persuasion then here's some background about our work... Last year we rehomed 165 cats and kittens, and for each cat and kitten that was adopted we charged a rehoming fee of £75.00 (£12,375 total for the year).  But in reality each cat/kitten costs us on average £350, which covers the cost of all vaccinations, flea treatment, worming and neutering (£57,750 in total for the year). As you can see, there's a big deficit between the two costs, and that's just the "normal" stuff that we pay for.  Other cats can cost us way more than that if they are poorly and need medical treatment, sometimes running into the thousands of pounds. This also doesn't cover the money we pay to help people on benefits or low income to neuter their cats, paying for neutering local feral cat populations in our area and all the other work that we do. Our team are out fundraising in all weathers, at fairs, carnivals, collections outside supermarkets etc, but to be able to raise a decent amount of money for the branch in one go would be wonderful.

So please, can I ask that you dig into your pockets and sponsor me?  I'd be enormously grateful.

PS:  I must make a mental note NOT to Watch "Terminal Velocity" before I do the jump.   

Cats Protection is the UK’s leading feline welfare charity.  Our vision is a world where every cat is treated with kindness and an understanding of its needs. Cats Protection has simple and clear objectives to help cats:

Homing - Finding good homes for cats in need. 
Neutering - Supporting and encouraging the neutering of cats. 
Information - Improving people’s understanding of cats and their care. 

Achieving this vision is only made possible due to kind cat lovers who support our work.  Visit www.cats.org.uk for more information.