Colleagues take fundraising leap from 15,000ft to help protect children

• Colleagues jump out of aeroplane in fundraising skydive for NSPCC
• The child protection charity relies on public donations for 90% of its income

Work colleagues from the valleys have taken on a sky-high fundraising challenge for the NSPCC to help raise money for the children’s charity’s work preventing child abuse.

The group of seven work for family run Welsh home builder business, Davies Homes, based in Pontypridd, which organises a charity challenge every year – this year supporting NSPCC Cymru/Wales.

Fundraiser Matthew Holley says: “One week beforehand, the mention of the skydive gave me shivers and sweaty palms. The day before I was very anxious, I wasn’t able to relax and didn’t get much sleep that night either. We were all very quiet beforehand not much banter, just the realisation of what we were about to do.

“After the jump, I was bursting out of my skin with excitement – the thrill and adrenaline that I had during the free fall time was like nothing I had ever experienced and it was great being able to see the world from a very different perspective.

“Knowing that children will benefit from our event is brilliant and it is such an honour knowing that we’ve been able to make a positive impact on the lives of children that most need it.”

The NSPCC provides vital support to children across Wales through its services such as Childline, which is available 24/7. Childline delivers counselling sessions every day to children who are being abused, neglected or struggling to cope with their mental health.

Cardiff is home to one of the UK’s 12 Childline bases, from where volunteer counsellors listen to children and young people who contact the service to speak to a trusted adult about anything that might be upsetting them.

Matthew adds: “We all know that the last 12-18 months have been tough, but we felt that we should direct our efforts for those that are most vulnerable and those that often do not get heard or seen.

“There are young people in every community that need a little extra care and protection. We feel that supporting such a charity may assist in these young people turning a corner.

“Although the circumstances of children that need the help of NSPCC are sometimes difficult to comprehend we hope that these acts of kindness can pave the way for vulnerable children to a brighter future. As our company is so deeply rooted in the local community with generations of families working in and around the business, we hope that these prospects are available to future generations as well.”

The friends, who hadn’t skydived before, have raised £3,500 for the child protection charity.

Supporter Fundraising Manager for NSPCC Cymru/Wales, Emma Brennan says: “This challenge is not for the faint-hearted and tests the nerves of even the most extreme adventurers, which is why we’re so grateful to the team from Davies Homes for going for it.

“They have raised an incredible amount for the NSPCC, which will help our charity make a difference to the lives of children and young people. Whatever’s going on in the world, children shouldn’t have to cope alone. That’s why we’re here for children.

“We rely on our supporters for 90% of our charity’s income, and fundraisers play a huge part – raising money for the NSPCC to help us continue our work keeping children safe and preventing abuse.

“Every £4 the team raise could cover the cost to answer a child’s contact to Childline, which is so crucial as we know that a child contacts our free Childline service every 25 seconds.”

#TeamNSPCC fundraisers can skydive throughout the year at one of 20 different locations across the UK and can sign up as an individual or a team. More details about skydiving in support of the NSPCC can be found via the charity’s website.

As well as fundraising, the charity can be supported in other ways too with volunteers playing a huge role in making the NSPCC’s child protection work possible. Childline Cardiff is in need of more volunteers and anyone keen to find out more can contact volunteerrecruitment@nspcc.org.uk. Successful applicants are asked to give a minimum 4.25 hours per week as a Childline counsellor, and receive a comprehensive training package.

Childline is available for children and young people 24/7 on 0800 1111 or at www.childline.org.uk. Anyone concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC helpline for advice on 0808 800 5000. Adult victims of non-recent sexual abuse can also get in touch for support.