Head teacher Tanya boosts cancer charity with skydive
A HEAD teacher has carried out a skydive to raise money for a charity supporting children and young people with cancer.
Tanya Smith, from Stanstead Flying High Academy, Nottingham, decided to do the jump, in aid of PASIC, after a conversation with her father, Raphael Richards, who joined her for the jump at Skydive Langar.
Tanya said: “PASIC is a charity that my dad raises money for every year, usually by arranging a golf event. But this year, on our family social media chat, he said he was going to do a skydive and asked me and other family members to jump out of a plane with him.
“For some reason I don’t quite understand, I thought, why not? Even though I have never done anything this adventurous before!”
For her aerial exploits, Tanya was helped by Joe Mann, a tandem instructor at Skydive Langar. She was joined by other family members for the jump, which has so far raised more than £1,300.
Tanya said: “Since signing up for the skydive a few months ago, I have been learning a lot more about this amazing charity and its history.
“It started off as a parent association in 1977, created by a hospital consultant and a group of parents to support the needs of families dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of a child with cancer.
“They felt that whilst children were receiving the very best care from the clinical team, additional support was needed for parents and families. The group of parents, with the help of staff, set up a self-help group to support others in the same situation facing treatment for childhood cancer.
“Over the years, this group has developed to what is now PASIC and over that time they have helped hundreds of children at Nottingham Children’s Hospital and currently support around 300 families.”
Tanya said she didn’t feel any nerves on the day, despite a fear of heights, adding: “Many of our school children were really excited when I told them what I was doing.”