THE Mayor of Basingstoke and Deane has completed a skydive to raise money for charity.

Cllr Paul Miller completed the skydive on Saturday, October 8 at Old Sarum Airfield, near Salisbury.

The skydive was to support the mayor’s charity appeal, which this year supports Tough Enough to Care and The Pink Place incorporating The Blue Space.

The event was due to take place last month but was postponed out of respect for the royal family after The Queen’s death.

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Joined by skydivers representing the two charities, Cllr Miller skydived from a height of 15,000ft.

Basingstoke Gazette: As a veteran of the Royal Air Force, Cllr Miller is no stranger to flying at altitude, but this was the first time he had jumped out of a plane.

Talking about the experience he said: “I want to say an enormous thank you to everyone who supported my skydive by donating to my charity appeal and to Daniel from Tough Enough To Care and Hannah and Sarah from The Pink Place and Blue Space who joined me jumping out of the aircraft.

“I was the first to jump out of the plane and the whole experience was exhilarating – the noise, the feeling and the scenery were all breath-taking.

“The whole of the south coast was visible from the air and I feel very lucky to live in such a beautiful part of the country.

Basingstoke Gazette: “My fundraising page will remain open until the end of my Mayoral year, so if anyone still wishes to donate, they can do so. All donations, however big or small, will make a difference to these two worthy local charities."

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Tough Enough to Care is a mental health charity focusing on traditionally male-dominated environments such as the military, construction trades and sports clubs.

The charity aims to remove the stigma that surrounds the subject of mental health whilst making it an everyday conversation.

Meanwhile, The Pink Place for Women, which incorporates The Blue Space for Men, provides free well-being services, complementary therapies and support to adults in Basingstoke and the surrounding area.

To find out more about the mayor’s charity appeal or to donate, visit basingstoke.gov.uk/mayor-skydive.