Skydiving grandmother from Eastbourne takes leap of faith for Christian charity

Pauline Perkins, who is doing a skydive for Tearfund and Computers for Charities

83-year-old Eastbourne resident Pauline Perkins is taking a leap of faith in mid May, doing a skydive to fundraise for charities including Christian international development charity Tearfund, which works to tackle the complex challenge of poverty in some of the world’s poorest countries.

Pauline was inspired to do a skydive by her grandchildren and decided to overcome any possibility of nerves by telling herself: 'I'm just going for it - I'm just going to do it.’ Her philosophy is to take opportunities: 'If you've got it in your heart - do it!’

A former nurse, Pauline is a long-term Tearfund supporter, having travelled some years ago to Colombia with the charity, to teach English in primary schools. She prepared for the trip by taking a TEFL [Teaching English as a Foreign Language] course and said ‘I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of helping in the school.'

Funds raised by Pauline for Tearfund will be used to tackle poverty through sustainable development, respond to disasters and challenge injustice. Tearfund believes an end to extreme poverty is possible, and works in partnership with communities, churches and local organisations to enable people to bring about change for themselves.

Pauline is being supported in her fundraising efforts by her friends and family, members of her church congregation, and people in her art class. To donate to her Just Giving page, please visit justgiving.com/fundraising/bigjump83