The team at the Matlock-based service are raising money throughout 2024 for Footprints Conductive Education Centre; a local Nottinghamshire charity that supports children with mobility and communication difficulties and their families.
On Saturday 22 June, seven Cygnet colleagues completed a 14,000ft skydive at East Midlands Langar Airfield, raising £3,382.60 and taking the total funds raised by Team Views to £4227.62.
Colleagues, friends and family joined for moral support, alongside the Footprints mascot, Deano the Dragon! The occasion was marked by a themed blue buffet in recognition of Footprints Charity and the day was enjoyed by all!
Elizabeth Appleton, Activities Coordinator, raised nearly £750 through the skydive. She said: “A skydive is always something I have wanted to do but I wasn’t sure I’d ever be brave enough. But for such a worthwhile cause, it gave me the courage.
“The weather on the day was lovely and we made a real day of it with family, friends and colleagues from The Views supporting us.
“When it was time to jump, I was terrified. The plane was tiny, it didn’t even look like a real plane.
“The freefall was for about a minute, I can’t describe the feeling of it. When the parachute goes up, it’s like a dream, going through the clouds. It was the best feeling I’ve had in my life.
“As soon as I got to the bottom, I was crying my eyes out because it was so special. I just want to do it again.”
Another Support Worker, Daisy Richardson has raised more than £500. She said: “I didn’t feel as scared as I thought I would be, the support we had on the ground really helped. It was definitely an emotional day.
“You didn’t have too much time to think about it, and with it being tandem, the power wasn’t in your hands. When they jumped, you jumped.
“We were in the air for about six minutes and I tried to soak it all in. I’m so proud of the team for doing it, and for how much money we have raised.”
Adaku (Christine) Nzor, also a Support Worker from Cygnet Views, raised more than £400. She added: “I was so scared, I couldn’t believe what I was doing at one point.
“But it is a cause we all feel passionate about and no one wanted to let anybody down so I knew I had to do it. It really was an incredible feeling to jump out of the plane, an experience I won’t forget.”
The charity is a cause close to the hearts of the Cygnet Views staff. Melissa Fox is a Team Leader at Cygnet Views and her partner, Lyndsey Fox, is the Regional Safety Intervention Trainer for Cygnet Health Care. Together, they have two-year-old Archie, who has Down Syndrome.
The family have been supported by Footprints for over a year. During this time, he has met lots of developmental milestones, made friends, and his Mums have had the opportunity to network with other families with similar needs.
Footprints offers a holistic education approach to help children with disabilities consciously learn the life skills that come more naturally to others. They encourage the development of physical, communication, social, sensory, self-help and thinking skills, such as sitting, standing, touching, listening, looking, eating and playing.
Lyndsey explained: “Footprints is an incredible charity that gives us so much hope.
“Our son attends every week. I will be forever grateful to the team at Cygnet Views for taking the time to ask and understand Archie’s needs and learn about his support network.
“To know that staff are taking their time to fundraise is heartwarming, when I initially was told this was happening I became quite emotional.
“We know first-hand how beneficial this resource is to families as sometimes families get very little support from other professionals so charity fundraising means so much to the them.
“My wife has been supported at work when he’s had to attend medical appointments and reviews, she also feels thankful that the Cygnet Views team has embraced having Footprints as their charity this year.”
To kick-start the fundraising efforts at the end of 2023, Cygnet Views held a Christmas Raffle. Other fundraising activities have included a non-uniform day with a themed blue and yellow dress code, as blue and yellow are the designated colours for Down Syndrome Awareness, and a 48-hour bike-a-thon.
The biggest challenge will be in September when the staff team will take on the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge.