Patrick fulfils skydive ambition in aid of St Catherine’s Hospice

A man who was given a skydive jump as a birthday present from his wife used the opportunity to raise money for St Catherine’s Hospice.

Patrick Hodgson had always wanted to take the plunge and received the jump as a gift from his wife Rebecca. He then decided it would also be a good way to raise funds for charity and picked St Catherine’s in memory of his mother and father in law Anne and Peter Kevill.

The 38-year-old from Rishton explained: “Anne in particular, was supported throughout her illness by St Catherine’s Hospice. They offered compassionate support to her and our family and we couldn’t have got through it all without them.

“Also, throughout Anne’s life, she proudly raised huge amounts of money for St Catherine’s Hospice at a wide range of fundraising events and we deciding to continue this legacy in her memory.”

Patrick, who raised an amazing £1,098 said despite some last minute jitters as he approached the jump, he had thoroughly enjoyed the skydive experience.

He said: “Whilst the anticipation of jumping out of a perfectly good plane was something I have always wanted to do, you have a sudden urge not to do it when approaching your jump slot!

“However, having said that, the feeling you get when free falling is absolutely amazing. It’s a great feeling and the panoramic view was wonderful. My instructor had done over 3000 jumps, so I was in good hands when we came into land.

“The funny thing is, when you land you just want to do it again. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would recommend anyone to have a go. The fact that I got to do it and raise money for St Catherine’s, was a bonus!”

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