Knaresborough’s Rose Smiles’ tragic incident inspires sponsored skydive

Susan Dearlove, a receptionist for the charity Age UK is doing the 10,000ft dive at Shotton airfield in Durham on Saturday October 3.

Susan said she was inspired to raise money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Age UK after the recent incident involving 94-year-old Rose Smiles.

She said: “[Rose] lives in Knaresborough and Knaresborough people will have seen her walking around. The air ambulance costs a lot of money, now it’s time to give something back.

“It doesn’t take much to jump out of an aeroplane or at least I’m trying to convince myself. If the war veterans can jump out of a plane then I’m sure I can.”

Both charities have a strong personal link to Susan, after her own family relied on the air ambulance when her nephew was involved in a car accident just over a year ago.

And having worked at Age UK since 2011, Ms Dearlove said that her time there had introduced her to some inspiring people.

She said: “They have been through stuff that puts your life into perspective.”

But Susan isn’t going alone... She’s making the jump with her niece’s partner, Dan, who was doing a dive as part of his 21st birthday present and suggested she join him.

The skydive is hoped to raise at least £1,000 and the money will be split equally between the two charities.