Octogenarian Ronnie skydives for hospice cash

Pensioner wanted to do something memorable to celebrate her 80th birthday

A daring Sulgrave pensioner found a high-octane way to celebrate her 80th birthday – by jumping out of a plane! Ronnie Langdon-Gray spent Bank Holiday Monday undertaking a tandem skydive and, in doing so, raised more than £2,500 for the Katharine House Hospice.

Octogenarian Ronnie is a long-standing volunteer at the Adderbury based charity. She wanted to do something memorable to celebrate her landmark birthday whilst at the same time generating vital funds for a cause that is so close to her heart.

After jumping out of the plane from 12,000 feet, Ronnie and her instructor plummeted towards the ground until the main parachute was released. Then the final stages of the descent were completed more sedately.

Afterwards Ronnie had to pinch herself that the whole experience had been real, but admitted she had rather enjoyed the trip into the sky in the plane. She said: “It’s surreal, I can’t believe I actually did it!

“I didn’t feel nervous though, it was a nice chance to sit on someone’s lap and have a free cuddle.”

Ronnie turned 80 on April 22. She is well known in Sulgrave driving around in her sports car. She undertakes a number of voluntary occupations, including work at Sulgrave Village Shop and Post Office. At the Hospice Ronnie has volunteered for a number of years as a receptionist, on the ward and with the fund raising team.

She said she was delighted to have raised so much money for Katharine House: “People are so generous, which is amazing when you think how everyone is having to count their pennies at the moment. There are so many deserving charities out there, but Katharine House is especially deserving. I have been associated with the hospice for so long and have seen the effect it has on people.

“Lots of my friends have been inpatients here, and through volunteering on the ward I have seen how well people are cared for. And their families – it’s not just the patient that gets support, Katharine House considers care as a whole. It’s such a lovely place, and who knows when you or your loved ones might need it.”