Duo braves parachute plunge for noble cause

Claire Montague, aged 42, and Lianne Dursley, aged 45, who are attendants at Waseley Hills Crematorium in Rubery, had never done such a jump before.

 The two have now raised £1,650 for Dementia UK after taking the plunge. 

Dementia UK is the crematorium's charity partner for 2023, which is what prompted Claire, from Kidderminster, and Lianne, from Oldbury, to take the plunge and raise some funds to cover the costs of Admiral Nurses, who provide vital support to families affected by dementia.

Lianne Dursley takes the plunge (Image: Westerleigh Group)

Claire, aged 42, said: “When we became fundraising partners for Dementia UK, we thought, as a team, that it would a good idea to do something scary to raise funds for the charity.

“It was just me and my colleague Lianne who said yes to a parachute jump, when everyone else said no.

“I guess we thought it’d be a lifetime opportunity even though we knew it was going to be the most terrifying experience of our lives at the same time.

“It felt totally unnatural, edging towards the edge of a plane and telling yourself to jump out, but the staff who were alongside us were wonderful.

Claire Montague free-falling (Image: Westerleigh Group)

“We did tandem jumps, with a professional on our backs. There was about a minute of free-falling before the parachute opened, which was quite literally breath-taking.

“But when the parachute opened, we were able to properly enjoy the experience. It was lovely and quiet, the views were fantastic, and the landing was very smooth.

“We both agree that, while being immensely proud of ourselves for overcoming our fears, we don’t feel any need to rush to repeat the experience.

“It was something that we will never forget and was a big tick on our bucket lists.”