DAREDEVILS are being encouraged to take a leap of faith to help raise funds for a Kidderminster-based hospice.

Kemp Hospice is hosting a parachute jump that will see high-flying fundraisers free fall 13,000 feet from a plane at more than 120mph on Sunday, April 15.

The past two years have seen 50 members of the public brave the Kemp Big Jump tandem parachute jump to help raise an impressive £30,000.

Staff at the hospice are leading the way as they bid to attract the highest number of participants this year but communications officer Dean Roberts Lowe and Kemp chaplain Paul Cody signing up to take part.

Paul said: “This is literally a ‘leap of faith’ for me.

“Normally when people tell me they’re going to do a parachute jump I say to them “Why would you want to jump out of a perfectly good airplane?”

“However I can’t mock them anymore now that I’ve decided to join the other lemmings and doing the Kemp Big Jump myself.

“As I’m Kemp’s chaplain, you can imagine the puns I’ve heard already – that I’ll be ‘closer to God’, that I’ll be ‘on a wing and a prayer’ but it’s worth taking a bit of a ribbing to help fund the incredible work that Kemp does.

“I’ve seen the difference that fundraising can make to people’s lives and working there I’ve seen how they help people to smile in the face of death.

“If helping that work carry on means jumping from a plane at 13,000 feet, then count me in.

I’ll be there on Sunday April 15, a man of the cloth – in this case the cloth being a silk parachute – to wish all the Kemp jumpers God's speed and happy landings.”

A non-refundable deposit of £50 is required on registering and Kemp is asking each jumper to raise a minimum of £395 in sponsorship.

To take part, people must be aged 18 (16 with parental consent) and weigh no more than 15 stone on the day of the jump. Anyone aged 40 or over will need to get a medical form signed off by their doctor.

To register, log on to www.kemphospice.org.uk/community-events or call 01562 756066.