FROM a chiller to a thriller: two staff members from an electrical goods firm swapped fridges for falling all in a bid to raise money for charity.
Emily Story and Eden Tulk both work for AO.com from its Newbury base.
For nearly four years, Ms Story has been raising money for mental health charity Mind, after her Uncle Lee died in October 2019, as a result of depression-related causes.
As part of her quest, she had undertaken challenges including two sponsored walks, but in order to raise even more money for Mind, she wanted to do something out of her comfort zone.
So she talked Eden into joining her for a skydive in a bid to raise £1,000. With support from the AO Smile Foundation, the pair, increased that to £1,750.
The skydive took place at Old Sarum Park, in Salisbury.
“Mind is a charity that has always been very close to my heart, but ever since losing my uncle, I’ve gone the extra mile to ensure no other family has to endure the pain of losing a loved one to depression,” Emily said.
“So, when the opportunity to skydive to raise money for Mind came about, I knew straight away I had to partake.
“While jumping out of a plane was scary, I’m so grateful that I have such an amazing best friend who was willing to be my wing-woman on this adventure and has been by my side to support me the entire way.
“Eden and I are both eternally grateful for the generosity of everyone who has donated, and to AO Smile Foundation, who helped us nearly double our goal. With times being more challenging than ever, we hope our donation helps provide people across the country with access to the help and support they need.”
Ian O’Reilly, head of community and events fundraising at Mind, said: “We are really grateful to Emily Story and Eden Tulk for choosing to support Mind through charity skydiving, and we wish them well.
“It’s a difficult time, with many of us now feeling the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on our mental health and wellbeing, especially those of us with existing mental health problems. One in four of us will experience a mental health problem in any given year, and it’s so important that no one has to face this alone.
“Every donation that Mind receives allows us to campaign to improve services and provide information and support.
“This includes services such as the Mind Infoline, legal line and our online peer support community for adults, Side by Side, so we can be there for as many people who need us as possible.”
If you would like to donate to Emily and Eden’s JustGiving page, you can do so here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/em-story
