Two of our Derby Partners have raised over £2,000 for Ilkeston children’s charity Ben’s Den after taking to the skies for a charity skydive on Wednesday 17th May.
David Nelson and Martin Gadsby, both conquered their fears on Wednesday by taking part in tandem skydives at Skydive Langar. The Partners’ fundraising endeavours have soared, smashing their original £500 fundraising target and raising a total of £2,090 to date.
PKF Smith Cooper is an award-winning accounting and advisory firm with offices in Derby, Nottingham, and Birmingham. The company provides clients with industry-leading audit, accountancy, tax, and advisory services across the region. The charity skydive is one part of a full year of fundraising efforts for Ben’s Den, which was voted by our team members to be the firm’s nominated charity of the year.
Ben’s Den is a dedicated children’s charity that provides invaluable support to families of children diagnosed with cancer and leukaemia. Based in Ilkeston, Ben Den’s organises free holidays for affected families so they can spend precious quality time together. The charity owns a fleet of five caravans in Mablethorpe and a sixth caravan at Tattershall Lakes in Sleaford.
Created by Tracey and Darren Parker in memory of their son Ben Parker, who sadly passed away in 2003 aged 13 following a battle with leukaemia, Ben’s Den works closely with fellow Cancer charity Young Lives vs Cancer and Haven holiday parks to organise the caravan holidays.
Speaking on the charity skydive, Martin Gadsby said: “The reality of the skydive quickly set in once the plane door was shut, but remembering the cause that we were doing it for helped me to put my nerves to one side. David and I appreciate all the support and messages we have received, as well as the many generous donations from friends, family, colleagues, and clients. I hope the money raised goes a long way in helping Ben’s Den to continue the amazing work they do.”
Tracey Darren from Ben’s Den commented: “We are always amazed by the extremes people are willing to go to help support Ben’s Den! The money raised by PKF Smith Cooper will allow us to put more smiles on faces with holidays at the seaside so families can make precious memories together. It will go towards ground rents, maintenance, and bills for our six caravans. Well done to David and Martin for completing the skydive, we hope you enjoyed the experience.”
If you would like to contribute to our ongoing fundraising efforts for Ben’s Den, you can still donate via the JustGiving page.