80-year-old Mottram gran braves 7500ft skydive to raise vital funds for charity

Sylvia Heatley, who turns 80 at Christmas, has helped to raise over £3,000 to support patient care at Willow Wood Hospice, braving a lofty plunge alongside her granddaughters Ashley Clifton, 34, and Karys Heatley, 24.

Sylvia wanted to keep the final amount they had raised as a surprise for the Grand Ball, held on Friday, October 20, at The Village Hotel in Ashton-under-Lyne, where four generations of her family were in attendance to receive a big cheque to present to the Hospice.

In total, Sylvia and her granddaughters donated a fantastic £3,408.37 to Willow Wood, whose staff cared for Sylvia’s husband of 59 years, Barry, who sadly died from throat cancer a year ago.

Sylvia, from Mottram in Tameside, praised the work of the Hospice, saying:

“I can’t thank them enough. They are just a wonderful organisation. Everything about the ball was great – the room, the food, the music, the volunteers – just everything.”

The trio embarked on their skydive endeavour over the August bank holiday weekend, taking off from the Black Knights Skydiving Centre near Lancaster.

Sylvia described it as ‘amazing’ but admitted: “I enjoyed it, but I didn’t enjoy the freefall!”

“I’m glad I did it, it was a bucket list moment. It was the best day, and all the family supported us on the day. To do it with two of my grandchildren was special.

“It was a cloudy day, which made it scary, but you don’t have time to think about it. Ashley didn’t want to see her nanna get thrown out of a plane, so she went before me.

“The staff at Black Knights looked after us and put me at ease – the instructor even joked about whether we had checked the parachutes!

Sylvia would like to thank everyone who donated and supported their fundraising efforts.

“We are very grateful for all of the incredible support we have received,” she said. “When we told everyone about the skydive and what Willow Wood did for Barry, people were happy to give.

Ashley, from Ashton-under-Lyne, described the skydive as ‘the best experience she has ever had’.

“It was simply amazing,” she explained. “There’s nothing like it. It was a really positive and emotional day, especially with our family there to support us.

“We had a two-and-a-half hour wait for the weather to clear up, and the anticipation during that time built up. I was wondering, ‘Can I do this?’ but it was the best experience I have ever had.”

Sam Duncan, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Willow Wood Hospice, commented: “Sylvia is an inspiration to us all. What an absolute legend she is! 

“It costs at least £3.3 million to run Willow Wood each year, and we only receive 20 per cent in Government funding. The remaining 80 per cent comes from the generosity of our local community.

“It’s because of the support of fundraisers like Sylvia, Ashley and Karys that we can continue to provide specialist palliative care to the people of Tameside and Glossop. We thank them all and it was a privilege to celebrate their achievement at our Grand Ball.”

Sylvia has pledged that she and her family will continue to support the Hospice. She is considering the possibility of further fundraising – with a wing walk planned next, so watch this space!

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