Ron, 85, set to take on skydive to raise funds for innovative farm project

An 85-year-old farm volunteer is preparing to lead a team of skydivers who will be leaping out of plane to raise funds for charity.

Ron Cornell will be taking the plunge from 13,000ft with a team of 24 colleagues on June 8 as part of efforts to raise £25,0000 for Snakehall Farm, in Reach.

The 18-acre farm, which is run by adults with learning difficulties, is preparing to celebrate its 25th anniversary and volunteers, including Ron, wanted to do something special to mark the occasion.

Maz Baker, the farm’s development officer, said: “Reaching 25 years is an amazing landmark for a small charity like the Prospects Trust and we wanted to mark it with something epic, getting lots of people involved in helping us raise £25,000 for 25 years and we are all so excited and apprehensive about the challenge ahead of us.”

All the funds raised are being ploughed back into improvements at the farm to better suit the needs of workers – made up of adults with learning difficulties, physical disabilities and those with health needs.

Mark Cornell, farm manager, added: “The figurehead of this fear inspiring feat is our very own ‘Super Ron’. He is not just super for doing this skydive but also because he is my dad.

“He is one of our weekly volunteers, topping the fields and fixing machinery back on the farm to gain respite from his full time carer responsibilities and has always wanted to do a skydive.

“Due to his age and his own disability, we all felt he couldn’t do this alone so we have 24 sponsored sidekicks jumping too.”

Donate online at www.localgiving.com/charity/prospectstrustatsnakehallfarm/project/snakehall-skydive-2014 or support one of individual Snakehall Superheroes at

http://prospectstrust.org.uk/snakehall-superhero-skydive-2014/