On Friday 31 May I will be hurling myself out of an airplane at height, to do a tandem parachute jump, in order to raise funds for The Armed Forces Equine Charity. This charity has its headquarters local to me, along with a couple of Centres nearby in Tidworth and a Welfare Cafe and Community Hub. However, it is a national charity, currently with Centres also in Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Yorkshire.

Its purpose is to provide sport and recreation facilities that promote participation for all the armed forces community and the local community, including children and young people, and older people. Its vision is to improve the lived experience for all those who make up this community, wherever they may be, and to increase health and wellbeing, raise morale and promote esprit de corps.

The power of the horse is completely unique and the charity sees first-hand the profound, life changing effect they can have on the members of the armed forces community they support.

The benefits horses can have on an individual are significant; not only enhancing physical and mental fitness but building resilience and courage to overcome fear.

Horses help an individual to develop a sense of pride, which is often lost when recovering from injury or illness. Horses require humans to work to gain their trust and those serving and veterans can easily understand relate to this.

Despite not particularly liking to fly, I am challenging myself, so that I can help raise the vital funds needed to care for these horses, who in turn can have a profound effect on those that need it. The jump is already paid for so all funds raised will go to AFEC. Please support me in trying to raise as much as possible to help the charity to achieve its aims, because I know the difference these horses make to so many peoples' lives.