St Benedict’s staff take on skydiving and ultramarathon to raise funds for charity

By Nicki Sampson

19th Aug 2024 | Local News

A care-worker and a nurse from St Benedict's Nursing Home in Glastonbury have been fundraising for charity by testing their personal limits with feats of courage and endurance.

Carer Clive Randall raised £734 for Alzheimer's Society, while Adriana Banceanu raised £459 for Young Lives vs Cancer, both causes close to their hearts.

Sky-diving was Clive Randall's chosen route to raising money to fund research on dementia research, a condition he understands very well through his work at St Benedict's which specialises in caring for people living with the condition.

Clive has worked at St Benedict's for over 12 years and literally jumped at the chance to combine charity fundraising with the opportunity to experience skydiving.

He said: "For years I've wanted to do a skydive but's a really expensive sport.

"So when I learned I could do it as a fundraiser by making a down pyament myself and committing to raise money for Alzheimer's Society I signed up straight away.

"I was a little bit nervous when the man opened the door of the plane 15,000 feet up and said 'Let's go.'

"It was an absolutely amazing adrenaline rush and an experience I will never forget.

"I won't need to do it again - because once is enough for me - but it was nice to know that my family, especially my eight-year-old son, were watching from the ground."

Clive's colleague, Adriana Banceanu, charity fundraising has so far produced £459 for Young Lives vs Cancer, which she first heard about three years ago when the daughter of one of her colleagues was receiving treatment for leukaemia.

The charity helps children or young people and their families find the strength to face whatever cancer throws at them.

Adriana Banceanu said: "As a mum of two boys, to have one of them ill is the biggest nightmare, not to mention a diagnosis like that, so it made me determined to raise funds for this amazing charity and I've been able to do that through my running.

"Last year I did 42km on Jurassic Coast from Weymouth to Bridport and manage to raise around £300, and this year I chose to do the 50km South West Coast Ultra Challenge.

"I've trained mostly on my days off by going to the gym and doing longs walks with my family in weekends - which can be challenging when you are working full time.

"I still can't believe that I manage to finish this challenge, which is the longest run that I ever attempted, and actually I'm feeling very proud of myself that I manage to accomplish that distance and been able to raise £459 so far."

Adriana's link for further donations will remain open until the end of September.

St Benedict's Nursing Home is part of White Care Group which also runs St Cecilia Care Home in Shepton Mallet and The Rectory in Taunton.

     

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