Sixth Form Students Complete 15,000ft charity Skydive

Students Rob and Tom from the Royal Wootton Bassett Academy sixth form have their feet on the ground again following a charity skydive.

The two jumped at the chance to raise money for Wiltshire Air Ambulance after a rugby friend was injured in a motorbike accident. 

Having experienced a 15,000ft drop at 125mph, both boys are now eager to get back up in the sky to do it all over again, and raised a amazing total of £1,245, through their JustGiving page. 

Tom and Rob went with Go Skydive, a company which regularly hosts charity skydives. The weather was not on their side at the start, with the plane having to return to ground from 12,000ft due to ice on the wings. 

Finally, they managed to complete their challenge.

The intrepid pair said in a statement afterwards: “There are so many emotions you experience all in one go, the initial fear of waiting, getting into the plane and right up until you are about to jump. 

"Then when you finally do jump the buzz of adrenaline hits you and you become overwhelmed with excitement with the 1-minute downfall, but as soon as that parachute is pulled there is a sudden wave of calm. It was single-handedly the best experience of our lives, and we really hope we get to skydive again.”

Both students have a love for rugby and play with an outside rugby team. One of their teammates - due to the rapid response of Wiltshire Air Ambulance - was thankfully able to make a full recovery after a serious motorbike accident. 

The air ambulance receives no national funding, meaning the charity relies solely on donations to raise the vital funds needed to help save lives. Royal Wootton Bassett Academy Sixth Form have selected Wiltshire Air Ambulance this year as their chosen charity. 

Tom went on to say how much he was enjoying his first week in sixth form with more flexibility in his routine. Tom is looking to go into an apprenticeship to study for a degree in electronic engineering. 

Rob is also enjoying the independence of post-16 study and has been in talks with Go Skydive about apprenticeships in the industry as well as considering a degree in finance or tech.

Rob and Tom’s Just Giving page is still open and donations are welcome. It can be found at

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tom-woods10?utm_source=copyLink&utm_medium=fundr