BRAVE staff from a local business are set to complete a charity skydive.
The Middle Coffee House, located in Brampton Bierlow, have taken fundraising efforts to a thrilling new level in support of a vital cause.
Staff members Jackie Thomas, Shannon Harrison and Evie Searing have committed to the exhilarating activity in aid of the Neonatal and former Tiny Hearts Appeal at Barnsley Hospital.
The sponsored tandem skydives will take place on Thursday, October 2, with Barnsley Hospital Charity’s manager, Jane Mills, meeting the girls afterwards.
After being cancelled once due to adverse weather conditions on September 10, the team is raring to go for their next attempt.
The event is being facilitated by Skydive Hibaldstow, who organise charitable skydiving experiences.
For two staff members, this will be their second time skydiving.
Last year, Jackie and Shannon went indoor skydiving for fun, quickly deciding they wanted to try the activity again outdoors. The pair was inspired to give back to their community by participating in charity skydiving for a worthy cause, recruiting the shop’s owner, Evie, to join them.
The group decided to support the Tiny Hearts Appeal because it holds deep significance for their customers.
Jackie commented: “A lot of our regulars are Barnsley-based and were born in Barnsley Hospital. We didn’t want to raise money for a big charity. Tiny Hearts is more local.
“A lot of our customers who come in, we form a bond with them and a few of them have got babies in the intensive care unit. If it weren’t for our community, we wouldn’t be where we are, so we wanted to give back.”
So far, the group have earned over £2,300, smashing their original target of £1,500, but they aren’t showing any signs of slowing down.They are set to announce charity evenings and quizzes to maximise their fundraising pot.
Whilst having received donations through their Just Giving page, generous customers have also flocked to the coffee shop to make cash donations.
Jackie attributed their success to the local community, adding: “We have our Just Giving page, we take cash donations too at the shop.
“People sharing it on social media has helped too. I didn’t think we’d get such a huge response.“I’d like to say thank you to everyone for supporting us and coming every day.
“We wanted to give back to the community like they’ve given to us.”
