Local couple, Karen Weeks and Nick Green, will be taking to the clouds and braving a sponsored skydive at Hinton Airfield, Banbury, on Bank Holiday Monday, 31st August to raise funds for Children's Hospice South West in memory of Lucia Robinson.

Karen, who Teaches Pilates in Bath and her

partner, Nick, are close to the family of local teenage fundraiser, Lucia Robinson, who passed away in June at Children's Hospice South West, Charlton Farm.

Lucia had been suffering from astrocytoma, an aggressive form of cancer in her spinal cord, but during her year-long illness, tirelessly raised money for children's cancer charities and Bristol Children's Hospital. Funds raised by the Go Blue For Lucia group she founded now near £9,000.

"We really wanted to give something back to the

hospice," Karen, who lives in Chilcompton, said. "The love and care Lucia and her family received there was

absolutely extraordinary. Of course, this level of care costs a lot of money and Lucia had desperately wanted to do a skydive herself as a fundraising event, but her illness progressed too quickly to allow that. So, we're going to jump for her, remembering her."

Amazingly and rather wonderfully, Lucia's parents have asked Karen and Nick to carry Lucia's ashes with them when they jump, so she will actually go with them.

Karen adds: "Children's Hospice South West is a truly wonderful place. It is hidden in a deep valley, far off a main road, surrounded by parkland and next door to a school and nursery. As you go up the mile-long drive, a sign requests that you 'drive slowly and with great care; young animals and wild children are everywhere'. CSHW offers respite care, as well as palliative care and this means the atmosphere there is not as dark and sad as you might have feared. Although the children there are very sick, more than any person deserves, many of them come and stay for a little while and then go home. The hall is full of laughter of residents and their brothers and sisters and the walls are clothed in bright, beautiful artwork that they have made together.

"Lucia's little brothers played endlessly in the sand pit and soft play. They spent much of the last part of Lucia's life making beautiful memories. They had a play leader, whose sole job is to think of things for them to do. One day, the whole family made music and sang together; they are all musical, and it was beautiful.

"The care shown by CHSW extends to the whole family, not just siblings. Lucia's aunts and grandmother came to see her from Bolivia and they were welcomed too and space was made for them to stay. As families came and went from the hospice, the chaplain agreed to take extra guests in. That's a perfect example of what CHSW is like. Full of lovely people, kind people, who just want to ease the burden of your heart, many of them unpaid (but carefully vetted) volunteers.

"All this can only come with a huge effort on the part of the CHSW fundraising team. They must work tirelessly to encourage new corporate donors and think of new and exciting events to stimulate people's imagination. Anything we can do to help them makes a difference to the short time that many children spend there; during that short time every experience is intensified, so your donations are hugely important and very much appreciated."

Karen and Nick's fundraising page can be found at: uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiserweb/fundraiser/

displaySomeoneSpecialPage.action?pageUrl=GOBLUE or you can arrange to support them by emailing: [email protected]">[email protected]