Teacher’s daredevil charity wing walk

MELKSHAM Oak teacher, Chantal Dean, braved dizzy heights earlier this month to successfully complete a daredevil wing walk for charity. 

Chantal took to the skies to raise money for the Lewis Moody Foundation – a charity raising awareness about brain tumours – and the building of an outdoor classroom at Melksham Oak School. So far she has collected over £1,000, but donations are still coming in.

Chantal said, “Before heading to the airfield I had some butterflies but as soon as I was in the car I had committed to doing it and so  I felt very calm and I was ready to take on the challenge.  By the time it was my turn to go up I was incredibly excited and grinning from ear to ear.  My friends who came to support questioned my sanity (not for the first time) when I told the pilot to ‘go big’.

“Once I was back on the ground, I felt exhilarated.  It’s amazing to have fulfilled an ambition that I have had for years and at the same time have raised awareness and money for some fantastic causes. I can honestly say it is one of the best things I have ever done and I did not want to come down.”

Chantal continued, “Having had a former student, David Langton-Gilks, who died of a brain tumour, the Lewis Moody Foundation is very pertinent, as it is working alongside HeadSmart, a project that aims to enhance the awareness of symptoms of brain tumours in children and young people.

“David Langton-Gilks was one of the most inspirational people I have met to date and I feel privileged to be able to help continue his legacy.

“It has been fantastic to be able to do something for a brilliant cause and the messages I have received from David’s mum, Sacha, have made it even more worthwhile.  To know that I’m helping to raise awareness and money to help people in the future is amazing.

“Also I’m so pleased to be helping to build something for the young people in Melksham. The outdoor classroom is going to be an amazing space to engage all of the young people in Melksham with their learning.  I have seen the plans for the build and it is brilliant to see the hard work of Debbie Steer, head of outdoor education, and Katie Lambert, assistant headteacher, all coming together.  Money I raise will be used by students to invest in things needed to ensure that the classroom is sustainable for future students.

“As well as the wing walk, I also held a raffle at school and local people and businesses have been very generous in supporting this.  I would like to thank Whitewall Galleries, Boomerang, The Blue Pool, Captured Moments Photography, Beechfield House, Moles Brewery, Countrywide, Waitrose, Bowood House, Theatre Royal, @Bristol for their prizes.”

If you would like to donate to the Lewis Moody Foundation, visit  https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Chantal-Dean  or cheques can be made payable to the Academy Trust of Melksham and sent to Melksham Oak School for the attention of the finance office.