DUP Mayor throws himself into charity effort with a fundraising skydive
A Northern Ireland council mayor is throwing himself into fundraising efforts for the Air Ambulance with a skydiving charity jump.
Lisburn and Castlereagh’s Brian Higginson says he is “humbled” to be able to take on the challenge for the worthy life saving cause.
Up to 20 people will join the DUP first citizen as he takes to the skies for his chosen charity next month to help raise the much need £3m a year for the Air Ambulance.
Mayor Higginson said: “I am proud to support the lifesaving work of Air Ambulance Northern Ireland as my Mayoral charity.
“I’m humbled by the skill, dedication and compassion throughout the charity; from the pilots, doctors and paramedics providing critical pre-hospital care, to the charity team doing the fundraising needed to support this vital emergency service.
“I pledged to do anything I could in my Mayoral year to raise as much money as possible for them, so when they asked me if ‘anything’ included jumping out of a plane at 15,000 feet – it was hard to say no!
“Air Ambulance Northern Ireland provides a critical emergency service which is entirely reliant on donations from the public.
“Their target is to raise £8,200 per day to keep this vital service operational – that’s equivalent to £3 million per year. If throwing myself out of a perfectly good plane gets them closer to their funding goals, raises awareness of their work, and encourages more people to support them, then I’m willing to take the leap.”
Air Ambulance Northern Ireland head of fundraising, Kerry Anderson, said: “We are thrilled that Mayor Brian Higginson is taking part in our fundraising skydive on 12th September.
“We urge everyone in Lisburn and Castlereagh to show their support for the Mayor and to donate if they can.
“They can also visit our website at airambulanceni.org to learn more about our work and ways to support it, including volunteering, fundraising, and becoming a member.”