Woman, 85, to jump 15,000ft in charity skydive

Joshua AskewBBC News, South East
News imageThe Counselling Partnership A woman is falling through the sky with someone strapped onto her back. They are skydiving. The Counselling Partnership
Terri Collins did a tandem skydive for her 80th birthday

An 85-year-old woman is getting ready to leap out of a plane at 15,000 feet (4,570m) to raise money for charity.

Terri Collins, from Walton-on-Thames in Surrey, is doing the skydive on Monday for the Counselling Partnership – a charity she co-founded more than 25 years ago.

"People are struggling more than ever," she said.

"This jump is my way of showing that no matter your age, you can make a difference.

"Mental health support should never be out of reach."

It is not Ms Collins' first daredevil challenge - she already completed a tandem skydive on her 80th birthday.

The Counselling Partnership provides one-to-one counselling for adults, both in person and online on a pay-what-you-can basis.

Ms Collins told the BBC in June the charity was four months away from dipping into its reserve funds as grants they had received were lower than expected.

The Counselling Partnership estimates it has helped thousands of people during its existence.

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