Wingwalker aims high for life-saving charity

A woman is heading sky-high as part of her 50th birthday celebrations.

Cheryl McLean, of Caunton, who celebrated her milestone birthday in June last year, wanted to do something memorable and will achieve a lifetime’s ambition by taking on a wing-walk.

She is raising money for the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance and £900 has so far been donated.

Cheryl said: “Wing-walking has been my long-held ambition but I never really thought I would get the chance to do it.

“Living in the countryside makes me more aware of the charity."

“Once I decided to book it, I was on a high with excitement and butterflies.

“My friends suggested I raised money while doing it and it didn’t take me a minute to decide on the Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance charity.

“Living in the countryside makes me more aware of the charity and of the need for the ambucopter.”

Cheryl’s challenge will take place on June 3 when she will be strapped into a harness fixed to the top of a Boeing Stearman PT17 Kaydet plane.

She will take off from Breighton aerodrome near Selby, Yorkshire, where her partner Rob, parents, sister, brother-in-law, nieces and nephews will cheer her on.

During her ten minutes in the air the plan will travel at speeds of up to 135mph.

The highlight will be a dive from 500ft and a zoom climb with a final run and break before landing.

Karen Carter, Nottinghamshire community fundraiser for the air ambulance, said: “As a charity we rely on donations from people like Cheryl to ensure that we can continue to provide our vital life-saving service in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire 365 days of the year.

“We would like to thank Cheryl for choosing to support our charity and wish her all the best in her amazing challenge.

“It will definitely be something she will always remember.”

All the money raised from Cheryl’s challenge will go to support the life-saving work of the air ambulance, which responds to the most serious of 999 calls, transporting the equivalent of an A&E department to the scene.

To donate visit Cheryl’s Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Cheryl- McLean1