Mark Pike has a keen passion for supporting the Armed Forces, following his father’s service to the Royal Air Force. He harboured ambitions of joining the British Army’s Parachute Regiment, before a Cerebral Palsy diagnosis changed Mark’s life.

Due to Mark’s illness, a skydive became difficult to organise and deliver, with companies unable to accommodate his requirements.

However, owing to the work undertaken by Bluebird Care Mendip and the Army Parachute Association at Netheravon, Mark was able to complete a tandem skydive to raise money for SSAFA: The Armed Forces Charity.

Bluebird Care Mendip provide specialised home care visits directly to customer’s homes, with personalised service offerings ranging from check-in visits to full live-in support. In this instance, the home care provider was able to extend their support to a customer 13,000 ft. up in the sky.

Mark was joined by first-time skydivers Masen Naidoo and Jenny Atkins, Bluebird Care Mendip Company Director and Compliance Manager respectively, to offer solidarity to Mark and his cause.

Discussing the skydive and the SSAFA charity, Mark Pike commented: “I’d recommend it to anybody. I think the freefall was my favourite part. The views were absolutely amazing. Our Armed Forces are incredible. Wherever they are, whatever they’re doing, they don’t sleep, so the likes of us can.”

To support Mark: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bluebirdcaremendipskydive