A local woman is preparing to jump from a plane this weekend to raise money for her friend’s IVF treatment.

Jo Camille, from Ludgershall, will be taking part in the charity skydive to raise money for Catherine Kent, who needs almost £5,000 for a round of IVF treatment with her husband Nathan after they lost their son Bertie shortly before birth, leaving her unable “to bring home a healthy baby without help.”

Catherine was the childminder to my children,” Jo told the Advertiser. “We were pregnant around the same time. Her and her husband Nathan have had such an awful time. I just [thought] to try and do something to help them.”

Jo is hoping to “help them on their way” by raising £2,000 toward the costs, deciding not to raise the whole £5,000 because “it’s an impossible amount for me, especially at the moment.”

“They have been through so much heartache because of losing their precious baby boy Bertie,” she said, “to then be told conceiving a child will come down to how financially well off they are and how deep their pockets are.”

The idea for the skydive began as a 40th birthday present for Jo, who decided to combine it with a fundraising activity. “I set it up a while back,” she said, “then COVID-19 happened and all donations went quiet. That’s why I thought doing the sky dive would help.”

“Most people seem genuinely saddened by Catherine and Nathan’s story but I think in the present times, people are more concerned about looking after themselves.”

While she’s looking forward to it, she thinks she will be “super scared when I’m on the way up.”

“The highest I’ve jumped from was a waterfall in Turkey,” she said, “and that was bad enough!”

The jump will take place on the coming Sunday, with £630 raised at the time of writing.

Anyone who wishes to contribute money to Jo’s fundraising campaign can click here to head to the fundraising page