Charity skydive helps to raise over £4,000 

She may have a “massive fear of heights” but it didn’t stop Chloe Lucas making a leap of faith from 13,500ft in her bid to raise money for charity.

The 19-year-old animal assistant from Lakenheath carried out the skydive at Beccles Airfield during the middle of June and her effort resulted in her raising an amazing £4,032 for the My WiSH charity.

The money has gone to the Mama B’s initiative and the Macmillan Unit at the West Suffolk Hospital.

Chloe took on the challenge on an “impulse” after her mother Carole had been treated for breast cancer at the hospital in Bury St Edmunds.

They both support Mama B’s, a cancer wellbeing day at Stephen John Hair Salon on the town’s Moreton Hall Estate on the first Monday of each month. It’s where women can go along and enjoy therapies such as oncology massage, manicures, make up lessons and reflexology as well as talk to Stephen and other hairdressers about their wigs or as their hair grows back.

Carole is now cancer free but Chloe wanted to help support both the hospital and Mama B’s to thank them for the amazing care and support they had given her mother.

Chloe Lucas getting ready for her skydive and free falling during the challenge. Photo: Chloe Lucas/UK Parachuting.

She said “My mum’s breast cancer journey has been for the past two years and Mama B’s and the Macmillan Unit have been a large part of this journey and I wanted to give something back.

“I have a massive fear of heights and I just said I would do the skydive on an impulse.”

Chloe, a former student at West Suffolk College who now works for a veterinary practice in March, said she had a lot of support from family and friends in raising the money and publicised her daring stunt on the Just Giving social media site.

Her boyfriend Jack Betts, from Dereham, helped with the fundraising along with her grandparents Glenn and Anita Sutton, from Lakenheath, who run Sutton Services, a demolition and site clearance business in the village, where Carole works in the office.

Chloe added: “I had a lot of anxiety before the skydive and did not get much sleep the day before. You sit on the edge of the door of the plane with the person you are jumping with and then you are out and falling and the one thing you notice is the wind against you.

“We were freefalling for about 50 seconds and I was told I was as white as a sheet coming into land but it was fun.”

Sally Daniels, fundraising manager for My WiSH, said: “Chloe was so brave and the total she raised is just staggering. Mama B’s is a special day and Steve and I are so pleased that we can offer this service to ladies like Carole. Our Mama B volunteers are amazing and we couldn’t do it without them. This donation will allow us to do even more so thank you to everyone who donated.”