Sponsor our Skydive in support of DJK Men's Recovery House

Please sponsor my (Stef Swallow) and Connie Colfox's skydive to raise money for DJK Men's Recovery Centre, a cause very close to my heart. The dive is 8th March! Please read below to hear the story.

I'm Stef, a proud wife, mother, daughter, auntie, sister and friend. In my earlier life I was also a very proud international equestrian. My life took a different direction when my mental health took a nose-dive as we now see is often the case for some successful sports personalities.

More recently, I have been diagnosed with bi-polar disorder T2.

This has finally helped me begin to understand the last few years of my life. I am very grateful for my family and friends for supporting me through the really awful testing times.

And I'm particularly grateful for the love shown to me from a particular group of men in Liverpool. These men had all suffered poor mental health, trauma and substance use disorder. My therapist introduced them to me so that I could experience 'recovery' first hand. They all live at Damien John Kelly House, a 17 bedded recovery living centre.

Very quickly I could see and feel what great role models they were, working hard to overcome their issues. And whilst our issues were different, I realised that by me learning from them, there was the potential for us all to grow and heal together. So the gents at DJK House have been teaching me about the power of connection, the expression of vulnerability, becoming authentic and truly being seen, heard and understood. And for the past year I have been attending groups and events at DJK. My children and husband have also visited and we are all learning about the genuine ways to manage and heal in times of adversity.

The men have given me so much support and they also express that I impact them and help them too. Connection, mutuality and seeing sameness allow us all to identify and create new growth.

I'm now at a place in my life where I want to give the men something more then just our mutual support of each other so I have made the decision to undertake a sponsored tandem skydive in order to raise funds for DJK House to be able to acquire a minibus and purchase ongoing items required all year round.

It's such a wonderful place of healing and putting families back together, that I truly want to help them out in any way I can. Would you support me in this mission?

It's a mammoth task to raise a grand total of £6,000 and the jump is only 3 days away now!!!!

I'm aware times are hard for many people, so whatever you can spare I will be grateful for. And those of you in more comfortable positions, please dig deep to help this tiny project that has done so much to help me save my life.

DJK House is overseen by Vitality Homes CIC.