Six of our intrepid Wild About Wakefield adventurers have taken the plunge with a 10,000ft skydive to raise money towards our services.

The group, who are all blind or have a visual impairment, wanted to challenge themselves to an even more adventurous activity and all six completed the jump in near perfect conditions on the East Coast of Yorkshire in September.

Dean, from Knottingley, has been a member of Open Country’s Adventure Club since it was launched over a year ago. He brought his guide dog Lola along to the skydive but she kept all four paws on the ground while Dean enjoyed the challenge. Dean says: “I loved it. The best bit was the second before we jumped and my nerves kicked in. When we jumped there was a moment of breathlessness and then just sheer joy as I felt the parachute go out.’’

Wild About Wakefield’s blossoming weekend Adventure Club caters for those with a thirst for adrenaline and run activities including kayaking, abseiling, archery and adapted skiing. Our accessible bus can pick up and drop people off from their homes.

Ella Dixon, Wild About Wakefield Project Officer, says: “Here in Yorkshire we are lucky enough to be surrounded by some of the most beautiful countryside in the UK. Yet just 1% of it is accessible to wheelchair users, with additional challenges for those with other physical or sensory impairments. We believe accessing the countryside should be a right, not a privilege and we are keen to include everybody’s wishes when creating our activity programme. This skydive perfectly demonstrates how our members don’t let their disability get in the way of anything they set their minds to!”

For more about our Wild About Wakefield project, click here

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