The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
A 63-year-old butcher from Spalding is aiming to conquer his fear of heights and be the first ever darts referee to call a score while jumping out of a plane.
Ian Tilley plans to shout ‘180’ when flinging himself from around 12,000 feet to raise money for the fight against Prostate Cancer.
The jump has twice had to be cancelled due to the pandemic, but Ian’s hopeful that the jump will go ahead in Durham on Saturday, June 4.
“I’m frightened enough of ladders so I have no idea what I’ll be like when I have to jump out of a plane,” said Ian, who has worked at Bennett’s Butchers for the last 43 years. “I’m hoping to be the first international darts referee to call at ‘180’ – that’s if I’ve got any breath left.
“I’ve done a few sponsored events for Prostate Cancer, including running the London Marathon, but this is a bit more scary than that.”
The chair of the Spalding Darts League, secretary of the Cambridgeshire County Association and player for both the Drayman’s and Lincoln Arms has already attracted around £2,000 of sponsorship having raised around £180,000 over the last five years for a cause he got involved in through darts.
He’s part of TeamDarts which itself has raised nearly £380,000.
“The sky dive is just to boost it up,” said Ian, of Westminster Drive.
You can donate to Ian’s Just Giving page www.just
giving.com/teams/Darts or there are sponsorship forms at Bennett’s Butchers in Winsover Road.
