11 Aug 2023 Community

Nichola Manning and the Live and Let’s Dive team raise £24,316 for The Kirkwood

Nichola Manning and a team of family and friends took on an incredible challenge to throw themselves out of plane at 15,000 feet all to raise funds for The Kirkwood. They eventually raised over £24,000 in what was an unbelievable effort by every single person involved. 

Called Live and Let's Dive 2022, Nichola and her team took on the challenge last year. Nichola had her own personal reasons for taking part in the Skydive and raising funds for us. 

Her connection to The Kirkwood is special, on that connection she said: "My grandad Kenneth Lees and uncle Stephen King were both cared for in The Kirkwood. My grandad died back in 2003 and my uncle passed away in 2017. Obviously, the charity is self funded so I felt I wanted to do my bit with it being close to myself and our family."

Nichola has been on her own journey with a lifelong illness when at the age of 36, early in 2011 she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her children Harrison and Daisy were only 2 years and 18 weeks old at the time. During 2011 she underwent surgeries, including chemotherapy and radiation. Nichola was then given the all clear in 2012. However early last year she was again diagnosed with secondary breast cancer at the age of 46. 

On her journey with cancer she said: "I was diagnosed in 2011 and was given the all clear in 2012. However, I was re-diagnosed in 2021. There is no point moaning about it, I just want to get on with things and live my life to the fullest.

"This time around I'm incurable. Even though every mammogram has showed clear each year following 2012 I have been re-diagnosed. This is due to a tiny dot being further back which was never detected and then over time it decided to grow.

"This is why I chose The Kirkwood for my fundraising skydive. It is our local hospice which is close to many of our hearts."

Reflecting on how the skydive went, Nichola commented: "I wanted to do something crazy and push myself out of my own comfort zone and doing a skydive definitely did that. I loved it, and want to do it again. I don't usually like heights but I conquered that fear in what was an amazing experience. 

"I am very proud of my amazing team. As a team we'll always be truly thankful and grateful for each and every single donation we've received on this journey. I'm so proud to have raised such a big amount of money for The Kirkwood and to me that means the world." 

Click HERE to watch this video as we spoke to Nichola about her incredible fundraising efforts.