Ben’s skydive fundraiser for Faith in Families started with a bucket list trip, a brave birthday plan, and one very inconvenient fear of heights.
Ben works for Veeqo, a local Amazon company, and has supported Faith in Families through previous fundraising activity and work connected to Multibank Cymru. So, when he realised he may need extra motivation to actually jump out of a plane, he decided to turn the moment into something bigger.
Now, Ben’s skydive fundraiser is helping raise money for children, families and people across Swansea Bay facing poverty, crisis, trauma and hardship.
A Birthday Trip With A Big Twist
In September, Ben and his wife Julie are heading to Australia for Julie’s 40th birthday. Australia has always been her number one place to visit. She has also always wanted to do a skydive.
So, as a birthday gift, Ben booked one for her.
Then, after what Ben describes as “a couple of drinks”, he had a thought. How could he ever watch the opening episode of I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! again, knowing he had been in Australia and not taken the chance to do a skydive himself?
Naturally, he booked himself on too.
There was just one problem.
Ben is absolutely terrified of heights.
In his own words, he is “not entirely happy with being on the 4th floor,” which makes jumping out of a plane feel like quite the plot twist.
Ben’s Skydive Fundraiser Was Born
After booking the skydive, reality kicked in.
Ben soon started looking for a way out. He emailed the skydive company and explained that both parents surely could not jump, because someone would need to look after the children.
For around 11 hours, he thought he had escaped.
However, the company replied with a very sensible solution. Ben and Julie could jump in separate time slots, so one parent could stay with the children while the other jumped.
Sadly for Ben, that left him with two options.
Do the skydive.
Or bottle it quietly.
At that point, Ben came up with a plan. He would make the skydive public and turn it into a fundraiser for Faith in Families. That way, people could donate, cheer him on, and make it almost impossible for him to back out.
It is a wonderfully honest fundraising strategy.
And, to be fair, it might just work.
Why Faith in Families?
Although Ben admits the skydive was not originally planned with Faith in Families in mind, his connection with the charity is already strong.
Through his work with Veeqo, a local Amazon company, Ben has seen the impact of Faith in Families up close. Veeqo and Amazon teams have supported the charity through fundraising, volunteering and practical involvement with Multibank Cymru.
That connection matters.
Faith in Families supports children, families and people across Swansea Bay through Community Cwtches, Brighter Futures, Inspiring Futures and Multibank Cymru. The charity provides practical support, emotional support, safe spaces, learning opportunities and community connection.
So, while Ben may be jumping out of a plane on the other side of the world, the money raised will help people much closer to home.
Every donation to Ben’s skydive fundraiser will go directly to Faith in Families.
Ben is covering the skydive cost himself. Or, as he puts it, he is “quite unhappy to pay for my own death experience.”
That means every pound donated will support the work of the charity.
Fundraising With Fear, Humour And Purpose
Fundraising does not always have to be polished.
Sometimes it starts with a brave idea. Sometimes it starts with a silly decision. And sometimes it starts with someone realising they need the public to hold them accountable before they run away from a plane.
That is what makes Ben’s story so brilliant.
It is funny, honest and human. But underneath the jokes is a powerful act of support.
By setting up Ben’s skydive fundraiser, he is helping raise awareness of Faith in Families and the people the charity supports every day. He is also reminding others that fundraising can look different for everyone.
You do not need to have a perfect plan.
You just need a reason to care, a way to help, and maybe a small fear of disappointing everyone publicly.
Help Stop Ben Chickening Out
Ben says that if nobody donates, he may feel under “no obligation” to do the skydive.
We cannot allow that.
So, if you would like to support Faith in Families, and help make sure Ben has absolutely no way of wriggling out of this, please donate to his fundraiser.
Your donation will help Faith in Families continue supporting children, families and communities across Swansea Bay. It will also help send Ben into the sky with the full weight of public expectation behind him.
No pressure, Ben.
We are all behind you.
Donate to Ben’s skydive fundraiser here:
https://localgiving.org/fundraising/SkyDive-4b4fdb6e47
To learn more about fundraising for Faith in Families, visit:
https://faithinfamilies.wales/fundraise-on-our-behalf/
