Smaller charities, like us here at Platform for Life, face big challenges when it comes to fundraising.
We don’t have a dedicated fundraising team, we cover quite a small area with our vital support, and we are still waiting for our own Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney to come and sweep us off our feet and launch our profile into the stars, like Wrexham Football Club. So, in the meantime, while we are working on Ryan and Rob, we are reliant on other superstars, just like Sam.
George Bowery, also known as Sam, lives in Nottingham, many miles from Platform For Life, which makes his incredible support even more special.
Sam found out about Platform For Life through his sister-in-law, who is member of our operations team, and despite having no connection to Chester itself, he decided he wanted to fundraise for us.
Sam recognised, with the challenges we face now, that everyone knows someone who is struggling with their mental health, most people have family members or friends who are affected, and he wanted to play a part in helping others cope and saw this as a great opportunity to do just that.
Clearly not one to do things by half, Sam decided that his fundraiser would involve launching himself out of a plane at 15000 feet! And so, on Saturday June 22nd 2024 this is what happened…
The big day...
Sam’s skydive took place at Skydive Langar, the UK’s biggest skydiving centre, located in the heart of the Midlands at Langar Airfield near Nottingham. Despite some concerns about the weather, it turned out to be a beautiful sunny Saturday morning. A perfect day to take to the skies!
The atmosphere was amazing! Sam had attracted quite an audience for his daredevil bravery, including sixteen family members who had travelled from North Wales to cheer him on, along with all of his family and friends from Nottingham.
Arriving at the airfield bright and early, Sam prepared himself for his safety briefing. As the minutes ticked by, the nerves and excitement built until it was finally time to board the plane. Sam and his tandem partner reached an incredible height of 15,000 feet before it was time for their big moment. With a rush of adrenaline, Sam launched himself out of the plane – and amazingly, as you’ll see from the photos, he had a huge smile on his face!
We are so grateful for all the support given
Sam’s skydive was kindly sponsored by his employers, and the outpouring of support he received from friends, family, and colleagues has been nothing short of incredible. A total of 94 people donated through his JustGiving page, helping him raise over £2,000 for Platform for Life. What’s more, donations are still coming in from time to time, even months after the skydive.
This generous sum is a fantastic achievement, especially considering that many of his supporters were based in Nottingham. It’s incredibly touching to see how a small charity like ours, based in a different region, has resonated with people far and wide. We are incredibly grateful to Sam’s friends, family, and the wider community for their generosity in supporting our work.
Sam’s not only raised vital funds for Platform for Life, but also raised awareness about the importance of mental health support too. His skydive and the incredible response it generated is a reminder of the power of community and the difference one person can make.
How will Sam’s fundraiser help Platform For Life?
The money from Sam’s incredible fundraiser will cover the cost of 25 counselling, therapy, or family support worker sessions for the children, young people and adults who really need our help to improve their quality of life! So, from all of us, a huge thank you to Sam, his friends and family, we are so grateful. The impact your efforts will make on lives of those we help is huge.
If you would like to find out why we need superhero fundraisers like Sam, just take a look at Our Stories. If you have a fundraising idea, we would love to hear from you, just Contact Us.
