Daredevil NHS nurses take on 15,000ft skydive to raise money for Bognor Regis hospital

Kathryn Tucker and Sam Marshall, who both work for Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust, will throw caution to the wind on Friday (April 23) when they jump out of an aeroplane over the Wiltshire countryside.

Kathryn, who manages Don Baines Ward at Bognor Regis War Memorial Hospital, said: “We had planned to do the skydive last year for my 40th birthday, but sadly it was postponed due to the pandemic.

“We’re going to pay for the jump ourselves, so anything we raise will go towards the charity, which does so much for the hospital and is a really brilliant cause.”

The 41-year-old, who lives in Bognor Regis and has worked for the trust for five years, said she and her colleague would complete tandem skydives above Old Sarum Park, in Salisbury.

Jumping in tandem means each of them will be attached to their own instructor as they hurtle towards the ground at 120mph before separate parachutes break their fall.

Kathryn will be jumping for the first time while Sam, 44, an in-reach practitioner from Littlehampton, who has worked for the trust for three and a half years, will have the benefit of having skydived before.

Although Sam prepared in a similar way in the run-up to her previous jump, both she and her fellow thrill-seeker will complete safety training before they take the plunge.

Kathryn said the pair do not see themselves as daredevils, but their relatives and friends may disagree, judging by the £440 they have already pledged in sponsorship.

Sussex Community NHS Foundation Trust is the largest provider of specialist NHS community services in Sussex.

Its expert teams provide essential medical, nursing and therapeutic care to adults, children and families, working closely with GPs, acute hospitals, local authority social care, mental health trusts, charities and voluntary organisations to ensure care is coordinated to meet individual needs.

To donate to Kathryn and Sam’s fundraiser for the Bognor Regis Friends of the Hospital, visit their GoFundMe page at gofund.me/e0bde046.

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