A PAIR of daredevil nurses will be preparing for the challenge of a lifetime next month - and it's all in the name of charity.

Gemma Jones and Viki Eccles will be jumping out of a plane at 10,000 feet on Sunday, April 2, in aid of Morda's Hope House Children's Hospice and its sister-site Tŷ Gobaith in North Wales.

The pair head to Sky Dive Tilstock near Whitchurch where they will put on their jumpsuits and leap out of the aircraft in a tandem skydive as part of an organised event for the charity.

Gemma and Viki said after spending alomst 10 years working for the hospices they really wanted to give something back. 

But they also admitted that it is the biggest challenge they have faced.

Gemma said: "We’ve never done anything like this before.

“Viki is scared of heights and couldn’t even walk across a bridge in Snowdonia recently, so it should be quite a challenge.

Viki added: "We saw it advertised and thought we had to do it to raise money for the hospices.

“We’re both nervous and excited but hope our friends and the local community will get behind us and donate whatever they can."

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Gemma and Viki have also worked on busy hospital wards in Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool and Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in North Wales, but have a particular fondness for their work at the hospice and were pleased with the impact it had on seriously ill children.

Viki said: "It’s a privilege to work with so many seriously ill children and give them the best possible care and memories we can."

Gemma added: "Making the children who stay with us and their families as comfortable as possible is very rewarding."

A spokesperson for the hospices spoke about the importance of fundrasing.

They added: "Hope House and Tŷ Gobaith children’s hospices support more than 750 local families who are either caring for a terminally ill child or whose child has died.

"It costs £7.5 million every year to run their services and 80 per cent of this is spent on care.

"Approximately two month’s income comes from statutory sources and for the other 10 months of the year they are dependent on support from fundraising.

Their ambition is to raise an additional £2.5 million each year to make sure they reach every child, mum, dad, brother and sister who needs their help in the area."

You can sponsor Gemma and Viki by clicking here.

And if you would like to join them and take part click here to go to the Hope House website.

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