Plunge for pounds

01/06/2007

Four water workers have taken a terrifying plunge for charity and saved more than one hundred lives.

Cara Hall (33) from Carrville, Durham, John Garrett (29) from Consett, County Durham, Louise Hurst (25) from Shotley Bridge, County Durham and Mark Elgey (26) from Howden-le-Wear, near Crook, County Durham plucked up courage to do a parachute jump to raise money for Northumbrian Water’s international adopted charity, WaterAid.

WaterAid provides clean, safe water, sanitation and hygiene education for people in Africa and Asia.

This was the first time any of the daredevils had done a parachute jump and, after half a days training, they were ready to face the fearsome fall.

The parachute jump, which was done at Peterlee Parachute Centre and in tandem with a qualified instructor, took about ten minutes in total – from take-off to landing.

Nerves frayed as the plane made the 10,000 feet ascent but the thought of the £2,000 sponsorship raised which will save 133 lives encouraged the four water workers.

As well as raising funds for the life-saving charity through sponsorship, John, Louise and Mark also boosted charity cash by organising raffles and a five-a-side football tournament.

Cara Hall said:  “The jump was absolutely fantastic and my favourite bit was free-falling for five thousand feet at 120 miles an hour!  I was really scared as the plane was climbing higher and higher but am so pleased, and proud, that I went through with it.  I kept thinking that I could not let all the people down who sponsored me – that gave me courage!

“It is heart-breaking that millions of people have a daily struggle to try and survive because they don’t have safe water to drink or effective sanitation.  WaterAid makes sure that once people have access to clean water and sanitation they call also look after the newly installed equipment, which is so important.  The charity empowers people and gives them hope and a future.”  

A child dies every 17 seconds in Africa and Asia because they don’t have access to clean, safe water, hygiene education and effective sanitation.  It only costs £15.00 to provide a child with these basic human rights for life.