Peter took to the sky on the 7 May 2022 and raised an incredible £1335 for Group B Strep Support.
Peter told us “I am the Rector of a church in Godstone in Surrey. In January this year there was a funeral at my church which was not unusual but what made this one stand out was that it was the funeral of a two day old girl, Eleanor.
Eleanor was born healthy but contracted a group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection during her birth, and died of sepsis. I had never heard of GBS before preparing for this funeral, and I suspect too few people know anything about it. What shocked me was not just that Eleanor died, but how easily it could have been prevented with a simple test.
Currently, the NHS does not routinely test women for GBS, and many mothers are not aware of the risks. A test is available privately for around £40, but pregnant women will only get tested if they are aware of the issue. If you know pregnant people, please tell them about Eleanor and GBS.
After the funeral I wanted to do something to support GBSS and found a list of marathons on the website. I’m in awe of anyone who can run a marathon but, for me, it was never going to happen! However also on the list was a skydive which can impress a potential sponsor without months of training.
So on the 7 May I was about 2 miles above Salisbury, falling through the sky, but attached to a very experienced instructor. It was an incredible experience that felt surprisingly safe due to the professionalism of the team that took me up. I know GBSS will save lives with money I have raised.
You can still sponsor my jump at: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/revpeteroconnell
Alternatively you could do your own: gbss.org.uk/events/skydive.”
