Alys Turner is planning to take the plunge 13,000 feet up to raise money for Doddington Scouts

A Fenland scout leader will be flying high and taking the plunge for charity this weekend.

Alys Turner will throw herself from a plane 13,000 feet above the Fens to raise cash for the 1st Doddington Scout Group.

The money will go towards the group’s £25,000 fundraising effort, launched at the end of last year, to provide essential modernisation for the scout hut in Benwick Road.

Alys, who looks after the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts, said: “We launched the fundraising appeal and then had to look around for ideas to help raise the money.

“I live in Manea and one day I was driving to March when I noticed people parachuting and I thought ‘that’s it, that’s what I’ll do’. It was almost on a whim, but the idea took off from there.

“Now I’m not sure how I’m feeling about doing the jump on Saturday! The North London Sky Diving Club have been great, they have offered me a discount rate because I’m fundraising for a local cause – so it is all set.”

John Cronin, chairman of the 1st Doddington Scouts Board of Trustees, said: “The hall was fine for scouting when it was first built, but it is outdated and really needs modernising. We have a list of things we want to do, including insulating the roof to stop all the heat escaping.

“We have an old boiler and the best it does at the moment is keep the chill off, so we can’t rent the hall out as it is not suitable for a lot of activities such as mother and toddler groups.

“We also want to refurbish the kitchen area and fit a new fire door. We spend almost £2,000 a year – or £150 a month – on gas and we only have the heating on for half the year. So it will be great to change the boiler to something more energy efficient.

“Once all the work has been done it will mean the scout hall will be another facility for the village to use.”

Alys will do the jump attached to an instructor and watched by some of the Scouts, Cubs and Beavers.

She has paid for the cost herself, which means all money raised in sponsorship will go towards the refurbishment fund.

Alys said: “We embarked on a fundraising campaign last autumn as we need to undertake several repairs to the hall, and invest in some new equipment to ensure the young people in all our sections can continue to develop #SkillsForLife and enjoy adventurous activities.

“Whilst I’ve only been heavily involved in the Scouting movement for the past couple of years, I’ve become a firm believer in its ethos. My daughter, Mae, 11, has been a part of the Scout Group over five years and she has enjoyed lots of new adventures, challenges, learned new skills, and had loads of fun... so it is time for me to give something back.”

If you are able to help please visit Alys’ sponsorship page https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/AlysTurner