PRESS RELEASE
A Nottingham mum is looking to raise money in memory of her mother-in-law after deciding to turn a skydiving experience present into a sponsored event.
Nikita Cochran wants to raise the money for Nottinghamshire Hospice after her husband, Andrew, bought her a skydiving day at Langar Airfield as a Christmas present.
He was inspired when Nikita said she’d like to take part in a jump while they were watching the ITV reality show I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here – which starts with the celebrities skydiving into the jungle.
The 30-year-old, who has a six-year-old daughter, Sophia, and lives in Hempshill Vale, is due to perform her leap in August but decided early on to use the opportunity to ask friends and family for sponsorship as a way of saying thank-you to the hospice for the care its palliative nurses showed for Andrew’s mother, Ellen, who died last year from cancer, aged 69.
And she is urging more people to follow in her vapour trails by signing up to two more fundraising skydiving days which the hospice has set aside for June and September this year.
She said: “I will never forget what the nurses did for Mum. We were looking after her full-time and it was a very dark and difficult time, not least because Andrew hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep for four weeks.
“Someone suggested we got in touch with the hospice and I remember thinking that the nurse who came on the first night was amazing. She was so caring and so professional, and her being there made a huge difference because she helped to lighten the load, which really helped us all to cope.
“Andrew gave me a skydiving present because he remembered my comment, but even though I was thrilled, I was so nervous about the idea that I decided I would need a good reason to go through with it, which is why I decided to do it for charity.
“The hospice was an obvious choice and although I’m petrified, I’m looking forward to the whole experience, and I would definitely recommend that anyone who has ever wanted to do a skydive signs up and goes for it.”
The hospice it looking to raise £50,000 by hosting a series of charity challenges this year, including running events, a London to Paris Bike Ride and treks up Kilimanjaro and along the Great Wall of China.
Elaine Hopkins, community fundraiser at Nottinghamshire Hospice, said: “We’re so grateful to Nikita for offering to raise money for us. It’s always rewarding to hear from families whose lives are touched by the work that our nurses do and how much their care makes a difference in their loved ones’ final days.
“Sadly, we do not have an unlimited pot of money to pay for their services, which is why events like our skydive are so important. We wish Nikita all the very best with her skydive and we hope that she inspires more people to sign up as well.”
To find out more about the hospice’s skydive days and its other Challenge Events, contact the fundraising team on 0115 910 1008 or email fundraising@nottshospice.org
ENDS
Picture shows: Nikita Cochran is set to perform a skydive in August in aid of Nottinghamshire Hospice after her husband, Andrew, bought her the experience as a present.
Notes for Editors
The full list of charity events is:
Tough Mudder Half – a 5 mile/13+ obstacle race at Belvoir Castle on May 12, May 19 & 20.
Tough Mudder Full – a 10 mile/20+ obstacle race in Grantham, Lincs, on May 12, 19 & 20.
Summer Solstice Skydive – June 23.
Women’s Running 5k and 10k – July 8.
London to Paris Cycle Ride – July 25 to 29.
Tandem Skydive – September 8.
Ikano Robin Hood Half and Full Marathon – September 30 in Nottingham.
Ben Nevis Trek – September 28 to 30.
Kilimanjaro Trek – October 11 to 21.
Great Wall of China Trek – October 19 to 27.
This press release was issued by Penguin PR. For more information or to arrange interviews please contact Simon Burch on 07735 397888 or by emailing simon@penguinpr.co.uk
