An employee at a Southern Co-operative store in Mere, Wiltshire, has flown 2,000ft in the air strapped to the top wing of a biplane to raise money for a local charity partner.
Lucy Hitchcock, 22, a duty manager at the local store in The Square, says she decided to do the wing walk after seeing a poster at work offering the chance to get involved in fundraising activities.
“It sounded so exciting. I started telling all of our customers, my friends, family and colleagues,” she said.
The £800 raised will go to Dorothy House Hospice Care, which provides care and support for people with life-limiting illnesses in Bath, north east Somerset and parts of Wiltshire.
Ms Hitchcock added: “It is astonishing what we have done so far for Dorothy House! Thanks to everyone’s support we have raised just under £800 which I hope will make a big difference.
“On the day, the worst bit was climbing up to the plane as once you are strapped in there is nothing you can do about it. The pilot can see you from the cockpit and there were signals I had to learn to let him know if I wanted to stop but I don’t think I could have made the signal even if I had wanted to.
“The wind was so strong. I couldn’t close my mouth. I was up there for around 15 minutes which was one of the longest flights that day as I’d ask for the ‘rollercoaster’ mode.
“It was amazing. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
Verity Clark, community fundraiser at Dorothy House Hospice Care, said: “A massive thank you Lucy for taking on this incredible once-in-a-lifetime challenge to raise money for Dorothy House Hospice Care.
“Lucy was strapped to the wings of a bi-plane as she soared above the stunning Cotswolds and raised over £800 (and counting!) for the hospice with your help, that will go directly to helping deliver palliative care in our community. Could you, like Lucy, take on the challenge of a Wingwalk?”
Dorothy House Hospice Care is one of the charities supported by the Southern Co-op as part of the society’s community engagement programme ‘Love Your Neighbourhood’. The campaign addresses four key social themes for promoting: ‘Greener’, ‘Healthier’, ‘Safer’, and ‘More Inclusive’ neighbourhoods.
