
Trustee, Marion Jeffrey recounts her skydive to raise money for Somerset churches
Ride+Stride+Glide 11th September 2021
A never-to-be-repeated fundraiser. Possibly! On the 25th anniversary of Somerset Churches Trust and the 20th anniversary of 9/11, what could possibly go wrong with a tandem skydive? Just about every possibility had gone through my mind in advance, and then 48 hours before, I decided to stop worrying and enjoy the ride. 10,000 feet of descent, 6000 feet in freefall and 4000 feet cushioned by parachute. An exhilarating thrill and definitely faster than going anywhere by bike! I didn’t see any churches en route but I did feel a little closer to heaven. My son had bought me this thrill as a birthday present and it simply seemed right to convert it into an opportunity to fundraise both for the SCT and my local church St Petrock’s in Timberscombe given the planned date of 11th September. Armed with my Ride+Stride personalised t-shirt I was ready to face the elements and experience the euphoria of a 32ft/sec/sec drop. And euphoric it was, utterly thrilling and exciting. It takes a while to come down to earth after an experience like that.