Emily Carter: Completing a tandem skydive for Guide Dogs

Our staff community is full of amazing people who go above and beyond, both inside and outside of their work environments. Emily Carter, Principal Library Assistant (Publications Officer) at the University of Southampton, is one of those people as she has recently conquered her fears for a cause that’s close to her heart.

In September, Emily completed a tandem skydive with her father, Mark, to raise Money for Guide Dogs. Hitting their £2,500 fundraising goal would mean the pair get to name a future guide dog puppy.

The jump was a huge personal challenge, made even more difficult by travelling to the plane and completing the flight blindfolded. She removed the blindfold only moments before the jump at 12,000 feet, having relied on guidance from the instructors throughout.

As the Deputy Fundraising Coordinator for the Southampton Group ‘In Support of Guide Dogs’, Emily has been committed to helping Guide Dogs with their mission. She has been volunteering for over 2 years, and this is one of many fundraisers she has been involved in.

Staff Matters spoke to Emily about the skydiving experience, and what the cause means to her:

Caption: Left – Emily and Mark before the jump. Right – Emily and Mark After the jump.

Every day, 250 people in the UK start to lose their sight and Guide Dogs are there to make sure they don’t lose their freedom as well – they want to help people with sight loss live with greater confidence and independence.

If you would like to help Emily and Mark move closer to their target, there is still time to donate through their JustGiving page.

You can also get involved with the Guide Dogs Southampton Fundraising Group, whether you would like to support local activities, meet new people or come along to one of their social events.

Have you or someone you know done something brilliant? Get in touch at internalcomms@soton.ac.uk.