Worthing friends complete wing walk for children's charity
Two Worthing women took their fundraising efforts to new heights – literally – by strapping themselves to the wing of a plane at 1,000ft.
Sarah Ramshaw and Nicki King took part in the daredevil wing walk at Headcorn Aerodrome, in Kent, raising more than £1,400 for Rockinghorse Children’s Charity.
The Brighton-based charity supports unwell babies, children and young people across Sussex.
It’s not the first time Nicki, head of finance and operations at Rockinghorse, and Sarah, a field staff supervisor at UK Power Networks, have taken on hair-raising challenges for charity.
Last year, they abseiled 115ft down Peacehaven Cliffs, raising £830 for Rockinghorse, and in 2021 Sarah completed a 15,000ft skydive with her son, raising more than £1,000 for Chestnut Tree House children’s hospice.
However, the wing walk – which required climbing to 1,000ft at speeds of up to 120mph – was the ‘scariest challenge yet’ for Sarah.
She said: “I was tied to a plane while every sensible part of my brain screamed, ‘absolutely not’!
"I took a deep breath, strapped in and took to the skies for a charity we truly believe in and the brilliant work they do.
“It was awesome being so high, I was trying to look around and enjoy the views, but I was fighting the G-force constantly. I love adrenaline experiences and plan to repeat this again next year, with loops next time!”
Nicki added: “Taking part in the wing walk confirmed two things: I'm still terrified of heights, and Sarah is far more persuasive than she should be.
"Standing on the wing of the plane was one thing, but when it actually took off, I spent a good few minutes questioning my life choices.
“But knowing I was raising money for such an incredible charity, and seeing the amazing support from everyone who donated, made every terrifying, nerve-racking but exhilarating second worth it.”
The pair were supported by colleagues at UK Power Networks, which matches staff fundraising efforts up to £100.
Funds raised for Rockinghorse helps it to provide lifesaving care and equipment at the Royal Alexandra Children's Hospital and The Trevor Mann Baby Unit in Brighton, in addition to specialist children’s wards and baby units in hospitals across Sussex.
Jules Billings, fundraising manager from Rockinghorse, added: “We are so impressed with Sarah and Nicki for taking on such an amazing challenge to support us. It’s not every day that we have anyone doing a wing-walk to raise money for us.
"We can’t wait to see what they choose for their next challenge!
“We rely on fundraisers like this in our local community who choose to take on amazing challenges to support children in our local community, so a huge thanks to them both for their bravery.”
Donations can be made online at: www.justgiving.com/team/sarahandnickiswingwalk.