Twins Willow and Bronte Cooper are planning to skydive, to raise money for the hospital unit that cared for them after they were born prematurely.

As they approach their 18th birthday, they are appealing for friends and family to sponsor them as they jump out of a plane and freefall at 120mph.

Willow and Bronte will be attached to an experienced skydiving instructor for the tandem jump at Sibson Airfield near Peterborough in May.

Following a 20-minute pre-jump briefing, they will board a small aircraft for a 15-minute ascent, soaring to around 13,000 feet (2 miles). They will then freefall for 40 seconds to about 5,000 feet before the instructor opens the parachute for a 6-minute descent.

The sisters are raising money for Kettering General Hospital’s Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU) where they spent the first five-weeks of their life after being born at 32 weeks with Willow weighing 2lb 14oz and Bronte weighing 4lb 7oz.

Bronte said: “Kettering’s SCBU is a brilliant unit which cares for hundreds of premature babies every year. The unit is always updating its equipment and facilities for the many families who stay there, so any money we raise will be well used. We are grateful for any donations which will all go to the unit.”

This will be the girls first jump where they will also learn the basics of steering and landing a modern square parachute as part of UK Parachuting in Peterborough, affiliated to the British Skydiving governing body.

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