Six mental health nurses are among a group of would-be skydivers planning to raise money to improve facilities for their young service users.
Nurses Hannah Goode, James Gordon, Karla Stewart, Ria Arrowsmith, Emily Bishop and Rose Far are fundraising for the Dragonfly centre, which is run by Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.
“We don’t have a target but would like to raise several thousand pounds if we can”
Hannah Goode
They will be joined by assistant practitioner Stella Bartholomew, occupational therapy technical instructor Gwen Goode and the husbands of two other staff members.
The Dragonfly unit, at Carlton Colville, is an inpatient ward for young people who need support for their mental health.
However, Hannah Goode said that one of the two courtyards at the unit had been “out of action” due to work being needed to make it safe.
“The team and young people have asked about when we would get the funding to have the work done and so we thought we would kick start the project to raise some money for this,” she said.
She highlighted that the group of fundraisers, dubbed the ’dragonfliers’, had paid for their own skydives, so all the money donated would go towards the project.
“We don’t have a target but would like to raise several thousand pounds if we can,” she said. “The courtyard does need a lot of work.”
“We are passionate about enhancing the experience for these young individuals and the dedicated staff who care for them,” she added.
The skydive, at Beccles Airfield from 12.30pm on 6 September, will be Ms Goode’s second for charity. She said: “Last time I was excited about it but then on the day reality hit and the nerves came out.”
Modern matron Karen Newberry noted that having the courtyard space open would support young people at the unit to have more open-air activities, and that they already had plans to put it to use.
“The young people were keen to have either a football pitch or netball area marked out, which would be used as part of the education curriculum,” she said.
“We are also introducing a yoga programme and again in good weather this space would provide a real calming area to participate,” said Ms Newberry.
She added: “Having two open courtyards for a variety of activities would be such a benefit for all our young people to support positive healthier outcomes.
“It would also support families to come and spend quality time out in the fresh air with their children. Families could bring pets which we have found this to be very therapeutic.”
Trust chief nurse Anthony Deery said: “A huge thank you to the team for organising this for Dragonfly and funding their places themselves so that all money raised can go to this fabulous project.”
