HEAVEN’S ABOVE – LOCAL VICAR TO DO A PARACHUTE JUMP
Teddington’s daredevil Vicar, Father David Cloake is set to do a parachute jump from 12.000 feet to help raise funds for the church, Teddington Town discovered today.
Father David, of St Mary with St Alban Parish Church, Teddington, will make his ‘wing and a prayer’ jump on Friday, May 30 from the skies over Kent to support the Building Anew project to provide much needed and vital new facilities for the community.
Father David, 52, said: “My family especially my wife think I’m crackers but I have been trying to think of something I can personally contribute to the fundraising and at least I hope this will catch everyone’s attention, which it seems to have done.”
The courageous cleric, a married father of twin teenage girls, has had a taste of adventure before with various experiences with gliders as a paragliding pilot but his 12000ft ‘leap of faith’ is a new level of challenge.
”It’s the landing and rolling that I’ve got to learn to do properly. The jumping in many ways is the easy bit even if the scariest bit – what’s the worst that can happen?”
He will report to a private airfield in Headcorn in Kent at 8am on Friday May 30 – to coincide with Ascension Day – and carry out some training before jumping in “piggy back” style with another parachutist from a twin-engine Cessna aircraft.
The church’s Building Anew project is aiming to raise over £1million for new facilities including a kitchen and toilets, baby changing facilities, community space and step-free access and has already reached about £600k including some small grants.
The ‘flying’ Father is hoping to boost the fundraising with £1 for every foot he jumps so an additional £12000 can be donated.
He added: “My wife is afraid of heights so she is very uncomfortable with my jump and would rather I wasn’t doing it at all and my daughters are intrigued as much as anything else!”
The Parish newsletter says: “Fr David is doing something very brave – he’s jumping out of an aeroplane with a parachute, to raise money for Building Anew.
“On Friday 30 June, suitably inspired by the wonder of Ascension, Father David will travel to Headcorn in Kent, climb to a height of 12,000ft and jump out of a perfectly functioning plane.
“Every penny of sponsorship goes to building vital facilities in St Mary with St Alban Church that will benefit all in the community. This is not a challenge David takes lightly!”
Teddington Town has made a donation to the fund.
You can support Father David’s Parachute jump here and donate to the building project here: Fundraising – Teddington Parish