a lady on a tandem skydive falling through he air with her thumbs up at the camera. The background is blue sky and the earth can be seen in the bottom of the picture.

Lizbeth’s Big Birthday Leap for Hospice Care

22nd September 2025

To celebrate her special birthday and to raise funds for KEMP Hospice, Volunteer Liz took on the ultimate free-fall challenge!

Lizbeth’s Big Birthday Leap for Hospice Care

KEMP Hospice Volunteer Lizbeth ‘Liz’ Clayton recently celebrated her milestone 75^th birthday in a spectacular way by leaping 13,000ft in a skydive to fundraise for KEMP.

On Sunday 17th August, Liz travelled to Hinton Airfield, Oxfordshire, to take part in the charity skydive. To celebrate her special birthday, and to help raise funds for the hospice that supported her and her family, Liz took the leap and has raised an incredible total amount of over £2,100.

Speaking about her sky-high challenge, Liz said: “My skydive has been the most incredible experience – truly exhilarating, and a challenge that left me feeling free, alive and on top of the world. It was like nothing I’ve ever done before, and it’s something I shall treasure always. I did this to raise funds for KEMP Hospice to thank them for all their support and services. I set myself a target to raise £500 and was overwhelmed by the response, particularly from my friends at my independent living residential home.”

“It’s been truly humbling to hear so many stories of how KEMP has touched people’s lives.”

KEMP Hospice Support for Liz

KEMP Hospice supported Liz in caring for her late husband, Paul, in the weeks before his death in March 2022, with Liz later receiving counselling from the Family Support & Bereavement Services Team. Inspired by the care she received, Liz began volunteering at the hospice in August 2023. “I was determined to repay KEMP’s support and kindness. In my volunteer role, I now see first-hand the amazing work KEMP does every day with their patients. I’m proud to be a part of the KEMP team.”

Emily Henderson, Corporate & Event Fundraiser at KEMP Hospice, said: “Our volunteers are at the very heart of the work we do at KEMP. When Liz told me this is how she wanted to celebrate her 75th birthday, I thought: bring it on! Everyone at KEMP Hospice is so proud of what Liz has achieved, not only in her fundraising but also in her personal courage to complete such an incredible challenge. It’s always wonderful to see the amazing challenges KEMP supporters take on to raise funds, whether that’s an individual challenge like Liz and her skydive, or signing up to one of our annual events like Santa Fun Run. We never charge for our care and support services, so the incredible effort people go to in raising funds for KEMP truly does make a difference.”