To do a charity parachute jump?

[AtYourCervix]

I don't know.

Is it a bit like a 'sponsor my forin jaunt up a mountain'?

Also

1. Is there a fat limit?

1. Would I need to be weighed at any point?

1. Would a slightly knackered back be a problem?

1. Would it kill me?

1. Are there more sensible ways to raise a shed load of cash for a good cause while letting someone else do the organising?

I did one a few years back (was talked into it - I have a HUGE fear of heights!!!). I paid for the jump myself so that all the sponsor money went to my charity. If I sponsor someone I want 100% of my donation to go to the cause.

Agree. Parachute jumps cost the NHS a lot of money.

1. Don't know
2. Pretty sure I was when I did it
3. Depends on what variety of knackered. Mine's knackered enough to have metal in there, but it was fine. You should be able to deal with a bit of a jolt when the parachute opens (nothing major, but) and the possibility of falling over when you land.
4. Highly unlikely. You'll be strapped to someone who has a very good incentive not to let you die - mainly because the chances are that if you die then they're going to die too.
5. Ideally something where people get something in return, not just a faint sense of being robbed so that you can go on a jolly and get a warm fuzzy feeling. Bake sales, that sort of thing (though I'm sure that someone will now come up with stats to suggest that the fat / calories in a fairy cake will cost the NHS more money than the quid you paid for it!)

It's quiet scary to see how often it goes wrong! Perhaps I won't bother doing another before I'm 40!

Lots of things cost the NHS money though, and while it's clearly not ideal to cost the NHS money in the name of charity, people make choices all the time that cost the NHS. They have children, drive cars, run marathons, play football and various other sports, let their children use climbing equipment, ride bikes.

Most things are selfish in one way or another and cost the state something somehow.

Is this to do a tandem? (strapped to an instructor)

1. Yes, about 15st depending on the instructor
2. Yes, if you look borderline or are not in proportion
3. How knackered?
4. Most probably not - it's very safe
5. Yes

And I've looked at the abstracts (can't see the papers) and they both seem based on very old data - the first dated 1999 studied 5 yrs of data (doesn't say which 5) and at that time most charity jumps were individuals where the risk is slightly higher, whereas now most are tandems.
The second abstract mentioning round parachutes really dates it, and it seems very, very. vague.
With both, the figures compare only the money raised by the individual injured parachutist against their hospital costs, and doesn't mention the many hundreds of thousands raised by the successful jumps of the majority. Pointless stats at their very best!

Not pointless data. The average charity jumper in the first study, injured or not, raised £30. All the money raised at two local parachuting centres was compared against the costs of those who were injured.

Alsowhile lots of things cost the NHS money, it is very strange to raise money obstensibly for the NHS by doing something that will cost the NHS an awful lot more money than it raises.

I've just started looking in to this too. I guess it hadn't occurred to me that it was "funding my fun", in that I'd never ever consider jumping out of a perfectly serviceable airplane for enjoyment.

I thought the idea was similar to sponsored bike rides or marathons, etc. in that you do something that is really difficult, challenging, or scary (for you) to overcome your own limits and help others in the process.

I was planning to pay for the cost of my own dive, and use any proceeds to earn income that would go directly towards purchasing tools and funding activities for a local community group. But the injury data is daunting...

But it is pointless data - it doesn't take into account the hundreds of thousands of pounds raised by the thousands of charity jumps that don't cost the NHS a single shiny penny!

Interesting opinions.

I shall ponder and discuss.

And if I do throw myself out of a plane you can all come and watch and purchase a sausage.

Yes it's essentially 'sponser my fun day out'.

Make sure you caught up the actual cost of the tandem jump yourself, and so all sponsorship money goes to the charity.

Yes there is a weight limit (around 16 stone, varies a little bit) and hell yes they make you jump on the scales. It's obviously exceedingly stupid to lie as it could be dangerous.

If you are right on the limit they might not take you unless there is a little bit of wind to help with slowing the landing down.

You are highly unlikely to die, but fat women do break their ankles more often than other people so work on your strength and flexibility because you need to be able to lift your legs for landing.

Why don't you do something that actually required some training and hard work rather than sitting in a plane and getting bundled out by the instructor? You basically do nothing. It's a lame way to raise money.

Dino Evidence please for the £1 to £14. I call bullshit on that considering on a sunny weekend in the uk in the summer the skydiving centres can do something like 2000 tandems with zero injuries.

I believe you might be thinking of an old study which was actually talking about charity static like jumps. Which centres are very reluctant to do now anyway ( charity jumpers have no intention of carrying on, fatter, unfitter, generally not as attentive as someone who actually wants to do a static line jump).

Oh yes, i am correct. 30 of the 41 injuries were charity STATIC LINE which the OP wouldn't do anyway. 7 were tandem injuries. Considering the huge number of people who do tandems that represents a very small risk.

We could go into what the actual risk is, but most people have a poor grasp or relative risk.

I don't know.

Is it a bit like a 'sponsor my forin jaunt up a mountain'?
I did one - and the charity had an option where you pay for the jump yourself up front so they got 100% of the sponsorship money, which I did, so nobody else was funding my fun. I think I paid around £160?
Also

1. Is there a fat limit? Yes, I think it was 13.5 stone

1. Would I need to be weighed at any point? I was as I was close to the weight limit - they took me off to another room and did it discretely.

1. Would a slightly knackered back be a problem? Could be. I know if you were over 40 or had any health problems, you had to have a doctor's letter giving permission

1. Would it kill me? possible but unlikely. so could crossing the road.

1. Are there more sensible ways to raise a shed load of cash for a good cause while letting someone else do the organising? Don't do it unless you want to do it. Someone on our course was doing it half heartedly, and ended up withdrawing before the jump.

you do that litter pick and I will be first in line to donate. although it won't be via Justgiving etc, I will send a donation direct to the charity.

you do a pointless stunt and you are on your own.

I don't have a problem with someone doing something fun or challenging and ticking an item off their bucket list while raising money for charity. These fundraising events are often organised or endorsed by the charities themselves, they must have worked out they are still in profit after the costs of the activity and they also benefit from the publicity. They understand it's a good opportunity and experience for the people taking part, which encourages more people to fundraise for them. People pay to see someone earn their donations by pushing themselves. I'm doing a sponsored abseil for The British Red Cross in October. It will be an interesting (and terrifying) experience for me and I think people will be inspired to donate by seeing me face my fear.

I cycled from London to Paris, and raised £3k doing it. My costs for the trip were £700, which I paid myself. Therefore all £3,000 went to the charity.

Do the jump.

You will feel like a total hero, and you will surprise yourself with what you can achieve.

If you can, pay as much of the 'costs' of the event yourself, but even if you can't cover that - there is a lump of cash going to a charity that wouldn't be going to them otherwise.

Have a bit of fun :)