Care home operator Lovett Care has chosen a children’s charity as its charity partner for the next six months – and has already raised more than £8,500 after eight members of its team took on a 15,000ft skydive.
Lovett Care, which operates Grappenhall Manor in Warrington and Statham Manor in Lymm, has selected Destination Florida as its chosen charity.
The charity organises a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Florida every two years for around 75 children from across the North of the UK, helping them build confidence and create memories through experiences they may otherwise never have the opportunity to enjoy.
Lovett Care initially set a fundraising target of £5,000 by April 2027.
However, that target has already been surpassed following the skydive, which raised more than £8,500.
Eight members of the Lovett team took part in the challenge, including a member of staff from Warrington.
The group had originally planned to jump from 11,000ft but decided on the day to increase the height to 15,000ft – the highest altitude available for a skydive in the UK.
Katie Westwick, Head of Marketing at Lovett Care, said the experience was both terrifying and exhilarating.
“The skydive was terrifying! When you jump you free fall for 50 seconds which is scary and incredible in equal measure, then the parachute comes out and you can breathe a sigh of relief,” she said.
“It takes about seven minutes before you land back on land. It was such an amazing experience, one I am glad to have done and would definitely recommend.”
Following the success of the skydive, Lovett Care is now hoping to raise more than £10,000 for Destination Florida.
Further fundraising activities and events are planned at its Warrington care homes and across its 29 homes in the coming months.
Katie added: “We are thrilled with the amount of money we have raised from the skydive.
“We had lots of people cheering us on, including Keith Crockett CEO, Cath Fairhurst Managing Director, Liam Bedson Finance Director and Helen Brown Head of HR, as well as Sophie Coventry, a volunteer medic from Destination Florida, which made it even more special.
“With more fundraising activities planned at Head Office and within our 29 care homes, we hope to raise much more for Destination Florida.”
The next Destination Florida trip is planned for September 2027, when approximately 75 children from across the North of the UK will be given the chance to experience the trip of a lifetime.
Lovett Care operates 29 care homes across the UK, including in Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside, Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire and the South East.
