THE founder of Wiltshire-based care company celebrated her 50th birthday by jumping out of a plane to raise cash for a local charity.

Anne Pelling, founder of Butterfly, overcame her fear and completed a skydive on Sunday (April 24) and has so far raised more than £800 for Dorothy House Hospice.

Mrs Pelling, from Dilton Marsh, said: “It was the most amazing and awesome experience. I did it and live to tell the tale.

“It was a very surreal experience, freefalling through the sky, but I absolutely loved it and the instructor made me feel very calm.

“As soon as I left the plane my breath got completely taken away, but when the parachute cord was pulled I was calm enough to take in the stunning views of the area and could see my family waiting for me on the airfield below.

“I have always wanted to do a skydive, so when my children decided to buy me one for my birthday, I thought I’d put it to good use and raise money for charity in the process.

“Hopefully this will inspire the rest of the team at Butterfly to do get involved and raise even more money for the charity.

“I’d like to thank everyone who has sponsored me."

Mrs Pelling received the gift of a sky dive from her children Ben and Hannah and decided to raise money for Dorothy House Hospice as it’s the charity for 2016 chosen by her team.

The skydive was the first of several events planned by the Butterfly team of 73, who work from offices in both Westbury and Odd Down.