A 80-YEAR-OLD woman has raised more than £700 after doing a skydive with her son.

Barbara Johnson, from Normanby, took the 10,000m leap while her family watched on last month.

Sponsorship for the jump, along with money raised through plant sales in her garden, came to more than £700, which will go towards Marie Curie.

Barbara said: “I said for my birthday I want presence rather than presents; I’d much rather have a donation to a worthwhile cause than presents I may not even use.

“I had a skydive in my mind for a while, I am 80 years old, I get these ideas into my head.

“The whole thing was rather scary; you drop half the distance at around 100mph, then the parachute releases and you are floating around peacefully watching the world go by.”

Marie Curie offers palliative care for people with a life-limiting illness, and support to their family and friends. Barbara said: “I chose Marie Curie because my sister-in-law benefitted from Marie Curie before she passed away four years ago.

“Ryedale residents sometimes struggle to travel long distances and donating to a charity like Marie Curie, you know local people are going to massively benefit.

“Everyone has a son, daughter, parent or friend who may have suffered with a terminal illness, so you never know when you might need Marie Curie.”

Barbara added: “I want to thank everyone who sponsored me over the years, every little bit helps.”