The pair hope to raise £1,000 in sponsorship
A Durham lecturer, currently studying for a PhD in Criminology, today (Saturday 21 February) made a tandem skydive from 10,000 feet in a bid to raise money for homeless people in the North East.
Maggie McDowell, from the School of Applied Social Sciences, is hoping to raise £1,000 for the charity ‘Changing Lives’, which provides support to people experiencing homelessness or recovering from addiction.
She made the skydive with a friend, Laura Burdon, an employee at Hewlett Packard, at the Shotton Colliery Airfield in County Durham.
Ms McDowell said: “The work that homeless charities within the region do is inspirational – this is something I have observed first hand as part of my research for my PhD.
“The skydive is very much a challenge. On a personal level, it’s about facing my fear of heights and on a practical level, it’s about raising as much money as possible for a worthwhile cause.
“Both Laura and I are extremely grateful for the support we have received so far, we are confident that we will reach our target of £1000 but we need your support to do this, so please make a donation.”
Changing Lives’ Director of Fundraising Cara Reynolds said: “We really appreciate their courage and the support of their colleagues at the University and Hewlett Packard.”
If you would like to make a donation, their just giving page is: https://www.justgiving.com/Maggie-McDowellandLaura-Burdon