Eastbourne grandmother smashes fundraising target for local charity with wing walk

Mags Tapp did the wing walk at Headcorn Aerodrome in Kent on August 12 for Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS). As part of the fundraiser she flew 500ft in the air and asked the pilot for the ‘maximum adrenaline rush’ as she fluttered up and down on top of the plane.

She said: “It was absolutely wonderful. I loved every second of it. When I got down I wanted to go back up again.”

Mrs Tapp said she wanted to raise money for the local charity as they often fly over her house en route to the A&E department at Eastbourne District General Hospital.

She added that the fact her husband received cancer treatment from the NHS, as well as her granddaughter entering her third year of training to become a paramedic, also inspired her to raise the money.

The Eastbourne grandmother said: “I had no idea people would be so generous. I couldn’t believe people were so generous.

“In the economic situation we are in now it is quite stunning to think that so many people could be so generous.”

If you would like to donate to KSS please visit Mrs Tapp’s JustGiving page on https://www.justgiving.com/page/mags-tapp-1681396425522.

Sussex community fundraiser for KSS Ruby Hunt said: “Margaret is an inspirational lady and this is an amazing achievement. KSS is a charity which depends on public support to carry out our life-saving work, and we are all so grateful to Margaret and glad to hear that she had a great day.

“It costs over £45k a day to run our life-saving service. Without the support of fundraisers like Margaret, our specialist doctors and paramedics would not be able to reach and treat people when they need us most. We hope her amazing feat will inspire others to support us, whether that’s by wing-walking, playing our lottery or taking part in one of our events such as Heli Hike in Sussex on Saturday, October 7, at Cowdray Estate, Midhurst.”