Christchurch | Posted on October 17th, 2025 | return to news

Christchurch care home skydivers raise £2,000 for Mudeford church

Colten Care’s Ruth Wildman and Denise Marks conquered their fear of heights to raise funds for the restoration of All Saints Church.

A pair of care workers conquered their fear of heights and completed a 10,000ft skydive to raise money for a vital church restoration fund.

Ruth Wildman and Denise Marks, home manager and companionship team leader respectively at Colten Care’s Avon Reach in Mudeford, took to the skies on Sunday 28 September in aid of a repair and rebuilding project at All Saints Church in Mudeford.

The church was severely damaged in an accidental electrical fire in the summer of 2022, which required 50 firefighters to tackle it, at one point using water pumped from Mudeford Quay. In the following years, the whole community has rallied to fundraise for repairs to the church’s roof and interior.

The skydive took place Old Sarum airfield near Salisbury, and care home residents at Avon Reach were invited to come along to watch from the ground.

Bruce Eynon, who made the minibus trip, said: “They were very brave, and I enjoyed seeing them go up — and come down.”

Recalling the moment they jumped from the plane into 30 seconds of freefall before their parachutes opened, Ruth said: “We were really scared when we were sat in the plane. When the moment came, as it was a tandem jump with an expert instructor, you didn’t have time to think about it.

“It’s difficult to put into words how to describe the feeling of flying but it was truly amazing and exhilarating. We both said we would do it again. We’re grateful to Bruce for his kind words, I think he was heartily relieved when he saw us come into land.”

In total, the pair raised a total of £2,064 thanks to sponsorship from friends, families, colleagues and the wider Avon Reach community.

Ruth added: “I really didn’t think we would raise that much money. We sincerely thank everyone who supported us.”

Since the fire in 2022, Avon Reach has supported All Saints Church through initiatives including providing space for church groups to meet. The home holds a monthly church service which is open to parishioners as well as residents, and it partnered with the church on a fundraising quiz.

Ruth added: “Some parishioners come to our coffee mornings and other events that we hold. We welcome all parishioners at any time and want to continue to build a strong relationship with them. We aim to continue being part of the church community as the rebuild progresses.”

Colten Care owns and operates 21 care homes in Hampshire, Dorset, Wiltshire and West Sussex. For more information, visit www.ColtenCare.co.uk.