Car Booting to boost our skydiving funds

To boost our skydiving funds we have been out and about car booting.  Unfortunately yesterday the forecast of a hot sunny day did not materialise.  We went to New Forest Car Boot Sale (Strawberry Fields) between Brockenhurst and Lymington, but before we had chance to sell much, it was a mad scrabble to pack everything away to avoid it getting soaked by the rain.

Luckily today was a different day altogether.  We went to Woodside Car Boot Sale at Pennington where we spent a very pleasant morning in the hot sun.  There was a lovely atmosphere with everyone soaking up the sun, having endured the rain yesterday.

Next Sunday, weather permitting we will be selling our wares at Netley Marsh Car Boot Sale (Boot Hill).

Sunday 22nd September, Netley Marsh Car Boot Sale (Boothill)
Well we were out selling again this Sunday, this time at Netley Marsh. We were in two minds whether to go or not as the sky was very grey, but the day was warm and still – a perfect day for car booting!

We managed to sell quite a few of our donated items – people were very friendly and interested in what we were raising money for. We received a few donations in our tin, many good luck wishes for the skydive and a lovely couple who were stalling next to us gave us a lot of their unsold items to boost our stock! This meant we came away with as much stock, if not more, than we arrived with and some funds towards our skydive – what more could we ask for. All being well we’ll be car booting again next weekend – this will be our last chance to raise money for the skydive as it’s fast approaching – JUST 12 DAYS TO GO!!

Sunday 29th September – Netley Marsh Car Boot Sale (Boothill)

Well, we were out again on Sunday as it was our last opportunity to fit a car boot sale in before the Skydive – which will be taking place in just one week.  Unfortunately, the weather was nothing like as good as last week, with a number of heavy showers throughout the morning.  We stuck it out for as long as we could, with the covers being put over the stall at least three times – then off again, but we still had to dry things off when we got home. Anyway, it wasn’t a total washout, we managed make some money and will continue to carboot after the Skydive to boost the funds.

I’d also like to thank all you kind people who have donated items for us to sell. It makes our stall quite interesting, as each time we turn up at the Car Boot Sale we have something different to offer!

What is Amy’s H.O.P.E. 20?

On 15th February 1994, when she was 14, Amy Guy (previously McIntosh) was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, which is a life threatening autoimmune disease, causing muscle weakness and fatigue. More information about her condition can be found on the Myasthenia Gravis website http://www.mga-charity.org/

On 15th February 2014 it will be 20 years since Amy was diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, to mark this occasion Amy and her family decided it would be a good idea to raise awareness of her condition. Amy came up with the name “Amy’s H.O.P.E. 20”, to use in fundraising leading up to the anniversary of her diagnosis.

Fundraising has already begun, in the form of selling at Car boot sales, baking cakes and selling them at local gatherings that they attend, and raising sponsorship for a Skydive, which Amy’s brother, sister-in-law, and mother will be doing on Sunday 6th October.

The main event will take place on Saturday 15th February at Lyndhurst Park Hotel, where they will be holding an Afternoon Tea Party, with entertainment throughout the afternoon, consisting of singing from a number of different acts, dance displays from local dance groups, an art auction and prize draw. Anyone is welcome to attend this event and tickets will soon be available at £18.50 each.

Amy is also writing a book giving both a light hearted look at life with Myasthenia Gravis, as well as some of the more serious aspects of how it has affected her. The book has also had a bit of input from those close to her, including her PAs, her mother and both her daughters. Hopefully the book will be available by 15th February.

All money raised will be divided between the Myasthenia Gravis Association (Hampshire Branch) ( charity number 1046443 ) and Stanley Graveson Ward (charitable trust 0071), Wessex Neurological Centre, Southampton General Hospital, where Amy receives treatment every 8 weeks for her condition.

Event 1 – Skydive – Sunday 6th October 2013

Event 1 – Skydive – Sunday 6th October 2013.

Well, time is marching on and Sunday 6th October is oooh so close.  Jay and Bridget are really calm but my butterflies are jumping up and down and the nerves are a bit frazzled now – can’t wait for Sunday to actually arrive, and nothing to get in the way of us doing the skydive.  I checked the weather forecast today and all looks good – no gusts of wind, which is great news.

More updates will follow – probably after Sunday!

WE’VE DONE IT!!
Well the day arrived and the nerves which had taken over yesterday and last night totally disappeared. Everyone at GoSkydive was so friendly. We arrived at 8.00 a.m. and were quite surprised to see so many people there – I hadn’t realised just how popular skydiving was. We booked in and were then called for our training session. At one point the trainer said “Yesterday we had one person who had never been on a plane before – is there anyone here today who hasn’t been on a plane?”. Bridget, Jay and I put our hands up. I think everyone thought we were quite mad, but the day just got better. Yesterday I had been thinking “I hope we are first to be called – I don’t want to be sitting around getting nervous”. But we had family and friends there with us, the weather was great so we were all sat outside just chatting. We were the fifth group to be called, and Amy arrived just as we were walking over to the plane. I was really pleased that we got to see her before we went off, because after all, she is the whole reason that we were doing the sponsored Skydive.

Bridget, Jay and I all went on the same plane which was great. The view from the plane was amazing – and the flight not at all scary! Bridget was first to go, then me, followed by Jay. There were five tandem jumps going from our plane. Bridget and I were lucky enough to have our jump filmed, this meant we each had our own cameraman who jumped out at the same time as we did. The sky was clear, just a few puffy white clouds – the freefall lasted just about 25 seconds (next time we want to jump from higher so that this bit lasts longer), then you feel yourself going upwards – not the sudden jerky feeling that I was dreading – you just seemed to be going in reverse! Then this amazing feeling of floating, everything was so still and quiet, really incredible. The scenery was stunning. I could see that Bridget had landed and Jay was about to land. My tandem partner explained that he was landing before me because he’d been doing some fancy moves, twisting and twirling which moves you along quicker. We’d done a few gentle twists and turns, but I was quite happy chilling out just floating around in the sky! And then the landing. Again, not the crash, bang, wallop that I’d been imagining – I’m sure people were taking bets on which bit of me I’d break, sprain, or damage in some way, but just I lifted my legs into the position we’d been told – but when I couldn’t hold it any longer I just sat myself down! I met up with Bridget and Jay and we all said straight away – “I want to do it again”!! We had a minibus ride back to the start position where we were given our gift pack – which included a money off voucher for if you want to do it again. We waited for our photos – had a chat with everyone then headed off to the Lavender Farm for lunch and CAKE.

As I’m writing this I still can’t believe that we’ve actually JUMPED OUT OF A PLANE, but we have and IT WAS AMAZING. Thank you to everyone at GoSkydive who ensured that we enjoyed the experience and to everyone who has sponsored us. Hopefully, a few more people have now heard of, and know a bit more about Myasthenia Gravis.