Teacher Overcomes Fear of Flying for School Book Fundraiser Skydive

Amber Stapleton, an English lead at Southwark Primary School in Basford, Nottingham, is preparing for a fundraising skydive, despite her apprehension about flying. She solicited ideas from her pupils for raising money to acquire new books, with skydiving being the most favored suggestion. An online donation page established for the cause has already surpassed its £1,000 objective. “I’m less worried about jumping out of the plane than I am about getting into it,” she stated. Ms. Stapleton, 31, underscored the critical importance of books for children’s learning. She explained that while the school’s budget allowed for some book purchases, she aimed to significantly enhance its available resources. She further commented: “Books can be transformative and we can’t assume children have books at home.” She added, “The area has lost its public library, so these children deserve to have access to the best, up-to-date books.” Her objective is for students “to be able to borrow five or six at the same time, so they can have a mini-library at home,” noting, “Unfortunately they are very expensive.” The skydive is scheduled for December 7 at Langar Airfield in Nottinghamshire, a date she acknowledges is not typically considered ideal for such an activity. Regarding the timing, she remarked: “I had agreed to do it and was concentrating on that challenge and I did not think about what season it was.” She continued, “OK, it will have to be safe, but I’m ready to go when they say and I’ll just have to wrap up.” She concluded by stating, “There’s no backing out as the kids want video evidence!”