Lovett Care braves the skies for children's charity

Award winning care home operator Lovett Care has selected Destination Florida as its chosen charity for the next six months.

Committed to making more of a difference within its care homes across Lancashire, including Belvedere Manor in Colne, Lovett is also passionate about supporting worthy causes, picking Destination Florida due to the life changing trips the children’s charity organises and hosts every two years.

To kick start the fundraising campaign, eight members of Lovett Care’s senior team took part in a skydive. The group initially signed up to jump from 11,000ft, however, on the day they decided to go the extra mile and jump from 15,000ft instead – the highest point you can skydive from in the UK.

Katie Westwick, head of marketing at Lovett Care, said: “The skydive was terrifying. When you jump you free fall for 50 seconds which is scary and incredible in equal measure, then the parachute comes out and you can breathe a sigh of relief. It takes about seven minutes before you land back on land. It was such an amazing experience, one I am glad to have done and would definitely recommend.”

Lovett Care originally set a target of raising £5,000 before April 2027. The skydive alone raised over £8,500, completely surpassing the target. With more challenges and events planned in the coming months, the care home operator is now hoping to raise over £10,000 for Destination Florida.

Katie said: “We are thrilled with the amount of money we have raised from the skydive. We had lots of people cheering us on, including chief executive Keith Crockett, managing director Cath Fairhurst, finance director Liam Bedson and head of HR Helen Brown, as well as Sophie Coventry, a volunteer medic from Destination Florida, which made it even more special. 

“With more fundraising activities planned at Head Office and within our 29 care homes, we hope to raise much more for Destination Florida.”

Destination Florida organises a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Florida for approximately 75 children from across the North of the UK every two years, giving them the opportunity to make unforgettable memories, build confidence and enjoy experiences they may never otherwise have. The next trip is planned for September 2027. 

With a vision to create caring communities in which our elders thrive, Lovett is one of the UK’s leading care home groups with 29 homes across the UK including Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire, Cheshire, Merseyside and the South East. Filled with joy, togetherness and love, Lovett Care homes are places where life is truly lived.