Three Jempsons employees took to the skies in September to raise money for the mental health charity Mind. Friends and family gathered at Headcorn Aerodrome on September 8 to watch loved ones Jessica Tallis, Ashlei Burgess and Dean Mitchell, who all work in the general traffic office at Robertsbridge, throw themselves out of an aeroplane from 12,000ft.
Jessica says, “We chose Mind because many people will suffer from mental illness at some stage in their lives and we were surprised to find out how poorly funded and stigmatised mental health is. We also wanted to raise awareness within the company that it’s okay to not be okay and there is always someone who will listen. We at Jempsons sadly lost one of our much-loved colleagues in 2016 when he took his own life, so we also wanted to raise the money in his memory.”
Jessica Tallis, Dean Mitchell and Ashlei Burgess and
The trio had an initial target of £1,200 but were amazed to have raised a whopping £3,672.89 at the last count. What’s more, the fundraiser was featured in the Rye & Battle Observer and they received a message from JustGiving to say that, out of the 88,412 fundraising events that they had running in September, their page finished in the top one per cent for total money raised.
Jessica adds, “Ashlei and Dean loved the jump so much that when we landed they wanted to go back up and complete another! I, on the other hand, was pleased to have survived the petrifying experience and I don’t intended to be hurtling towards the ground at 160mph again any time soon!”
Meanwhile, our candidates who won the selection process for the British Gypsum Driver Of The Year competition, Bryan Walker and Stephen Nwaefuna, spent a gruelling day in Burton On Trent on October 16 trying to prove their mettle in a series of heats. While Bryan, who reached the final of Driver Of The Year, and Stephen, who was up for Most Improved Driver, didn’t win, they were delighted to take part and be recognised for their efforts.
