First skydive at the age of 71 for West Sussex homelessness charity Turning Tides will be in memory of son

Lesley Partridge is a keen supporter of the Worthing-based charity and spotted the Skydive 2023 on its website. She saw it as the perfect opportunity to pay tribute to her late son, as she knew he had always wanted to skydive.

She said: "My friends don’t believe I’m going to do it. But I certainly am and they have been really supportive through their donations. I’ve always admired the work Turning Tides do in our community, so the more I can raise doing the skydive the better."

Lesley visited the Eden Project in June and saw the famous zip wire there, the fastest in England, as a bit of training for the big day.

Wanting to help make a difference in her community by supporting local people experiencing homelessness, Lesley has already raised £1,000 since signing up to the skydive.

To support Lesley and the skydiving team, visit www.justgiving.com/campaign/ttskydive2023. A registration fee of £50 will secure a place on the skydive, with a minimum sponsorship requirement of £425. To find out more, visit www.turning-tides.org.uk/event/skydive-2023 or call the fundraising team on 01903 680740.

As a long-term supporter of Turning Tides, Lesley will be part of the Skydive 2023 team heading to the Netheravon Airfields in Wiltshire on Sunday, September 9.

The charity says the site on Salisbury Plain is the perfect location to take in stunning views as the they jump from 13,000ft.

Turning Tides has supported more than 900 people across West Sussex in the past 12 months. The charity says there is a homeless emergency growing in the county, as more and more people are depending on its support and accommodation.

Knowing people are sleeping rough is something Lesley finds impossible to ignore. She says she is passionate about solving homelessness and for many years has felt angered about the way people experiencing it are treated in society.