Bexhill woman celebrates her milestone birthday with a skydive

Dawn Cummins from Bexhill is marking her milestone 70th birthday by taking on a huge challenge – her very first skydive. And, she says, signing up has whetted her appetite for more daredevil exploits.

Dawn, a transformational author, will be raising money for children’s hospice Chestnut Tree House, which is one of several children’s charities she supports. After initially playing the Chestnut Tree House Lottery, she began donating regularly and wanted to do something big to celebrate her special birthday. Inspiration came from the most unlikely place – her local bank. “The manager did a skydive for charity and she’d displayed some pictures. That really inspired me, and I had a chat to her about it. Right up until my birthday in January I didn’t tell anyone about it, not even my family!”

Dawn’s family – her husband, two daughters and seven grandchildren – will be supporting her when she does her skydive on 19 March – a date Dawn chose for its special significance. “Mother’s Day is special for all mums,” she says. “But I imagine it’s especially poignant for the mums of children at Chestnut Tree House.”

Dawn has never had a problem with heights and has enjoyed a hot air balloon flight and paragliding in the past. If all goes well with the skydive, she says, “I might do a Wing Walk next!”