Red Kite Radio listener Steve Clapinson, who is registered blind, has raised hundreds of pounds for the station by doing a skydive.
And on Sunday 24 th September he told listeners all about the experience when he was a guest on John Reid-Hansen’s Sunday Brunch Show.
Steve, who grew up in Buckinghamshire and lived in Great Kimble for 18 years, took part in the exhilarating experience to raise funds for Red Kite Radio and also for Aylesbury Food Bank.
His tandem skydive took place at an airfield in Peterborough earlier this month (September) and he said he loved every minute of it and did a perfect landing. His fund raising target was £500 but he has exceeded that, with £735 raised so far.
Steve is keeping his JustGiving page* open until the end of October and hopes to raise even more. Then he will split the proceeds in half and share the money raised between Aylesbury Food Bank and Red Kite Radio.
Steve moved to south Lincolnshire more than 20 years ago but still retains strong links with Buckinghamshire and returns frequently.
He said: “When I heard about Red Kite Radio earlier this year I tuned in one Thursday evening on my Alexa and the first show I listened to was Gold Kite, then it was Cherry Waller with the Sixties Rewind and then Motown Magic. I loved it.”
Steve has become such a fan of the station he travelled down to Haddenham in the summer to attend the Funk, Soul and Dance Night organised by presenter Deep Kundhi to raise funds for the station, and it gave Steve the idea to do something himself.
He said: “I had a great time at the Funk, Soul and Dance Night and I met Cherry Waller and got her autograph and I thought, here is a community radio station I want to do something for, and so I decided to do the skydive.”
Red Kite Radio Head of Output, Chris Long, said: “We are immensely grateful to Steve for his incredible feat and his generous donation to the station. And we are delighted that he enjoys listening to our shows.”
*Photographs and a video of Steve’s skydive can be viewed on his Just Giving page, which is still open for donations until the end of October https://justgiving.com/crowdfunding/steve-clapinson