Bondholders set to take leap of faith for charity

Representatives from a number of Marketing Derby Bondholders are preparing to take part in sponsored skydives in aid of Safe and Sound.

Almost 30 people have so far signed up for the skydives, which will be held on Friday June 23 and Saturday June 24 at Nottingham Airport and will raise money for the specialist child exploitation charity.

They include representatives from several local businesses, including Gravity Digital, Smith Partnership, Bloc Digital and PIB Insurance.

Other businesses, such as Cosy Direct, Invictus Communications, HUUB and Embark Federation have also sponsored their colleagues, family and even young people supported by the charity to join the ‘once in a lifetime’ experience.

Safe and Sound chief executive Tracy Harrison will be among those jumping out of the plane to raise money for the charity, which supports young people and families across Derbyshire whose lives have been affected by child exploitation including online grooming, sexual exploitation, County Lines, trafficking, modern slaving and radicalisation.

She said: “The local business community has always shown us amazing support, and this is vital to ensure we can support children as young as seven who are being groomed and exploited both online and in person in our local communities as well as their families.

“We like to set our supporters a new challenge every year and, having tackled abseiling and fire walking in the past, I hope that as many people as possible will join me in jumping out of a plane!”

Sharon Stevens-Cash, director of Gravity Digital, said: “I am always impressed with the way that Safe and Sound create exciting fundraising events to raise money for this important charity, which is close to my heart, supporting them any way I can is a pleasure.

“I am not great with heights, but I have a great determination and always happy to push myself to my limits, so I am really looking forward to the experience albeit I am a bit scared, a tad excited, and essentially, nerves are running high!”

Keith Cox, director at Bloc Digital, who is taking part with three colleagues, said: “We’re looking forward to taking the leap for Safe and Sound because child exploitation remains a pressing issue everywhere, affecting young individuals regardless of their ethnicity, social background, or residence.”

In addition to individual sponsorship, a fundraising page has been set up to support the Skydive: https://justgiving.com/campaign/safeandsoundskydive24 .