What a beautiful place Hibaldstow is, set in the peaceful countryside near Scunthorpe, overlooking fields dotted with highland cows. It was an early 8am start, but with the sun already shining and the stunning surroundings, it felt like a perfect morning for adventure.
Our nervous but excited skydivers began to arrive around 8:30am for their safety briefings.
Ruth, a teacher from Stepney Primary School, was the first to arrive. Having done a skydive over 20 years ago in New Zealand, she had some idea of what to expect, but that didn’t stop the nerves from kicking in again!
Next came the lovely Georgina and Hannah from Transwaste, both full of energy and excitement to brave the jump.
And last, but certainly not least was Dave. As the current captain of Hull Golf Club, Dave has chosen Hull Children’s University as his charity of the year. Although it was his first (and likely last!) skydive, he was eager to take the leap despite feeling incredibly nervous.
While the team received their safety briefings, I enjoyed a granola and mango breakfast from the lovely café and bar at Hibaldstow, a lively hub where people watched the screen intently, waiting for their turn to board the small aircraft.
While waiting, we noticed a group of older skydivers in full gear doing what looked like a line dance on the concrete. At the time, it was slightly baffling, but it soon became clear we were about to witness something very special.
Back on the ground, surrounded by nervous friends and family, we gazed up into the sun-drenched sky, watching for the plane and the tiny parachutes to appear. Ruth was first down, followed by Georgina and Hannah each opting for the adrenaline-pumping “crazy ride” with loops at 15,000 feet!
Safely on the ground, everyone gathered to support Dave as he prepared for take-off. What he didn’t know was that he was about to be part of a British world record attempt. The older “dancers” we saw earlier were members of SOS (Skydivers Over Sixty), gearing up to set a new record for the most skydivers over 60 to jump from a plane at once.
With 11 other skydivers onboard, Dave witnessed a rare and incredible sight: a 22-person synchronized skydive from above. It was just as spectacular from the ground as it was from the sky.
Together, our four incredible skydivers raised a phenomenal £4,120, which will make a life-changing difference for the children we support.
You can watch some of the days action on our Instagram page
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DLH3B8ysi87/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
If you would be interesting in taking part on our next sky dive you can email me at [email protected]