ONE of the organisers of an Abbots Langley-based charity has raised £500 after making a freefall parachute jump.

Miss Melanie Hollinshead, a field officer with Millennium Volunteers, based at Woodlands YMCA, Linnets Drive, made the tandem jump.

Millennium Volunteers is an organisation which finds voluntary work placements for young people.

Miss Hollinshead jumped despite the person supposed to be accompanying her dropping out.

Instead, she made the 13,000ft tandem jump strapped to a member of the Red Devils parachute team.

The jump was in aid of the RNIB the Royal National Institute for the Blind.

Miss Hollinshead said the jump on Thursday, July 26 at Ministry of Defence base Netheravon, in Wiltshire did not go exactly to plan.

She said: "The landing was alright but a little bit strange.

"We were told in training that we should land on our backside because of the wind.

"But on the way down the guy said we were going to try for a landing on our feet.

"I wasn't nervous all day. The guys that took you up were chatting and joking so I didn't get too worried.

"It's when you are on the edge of the plane, you start to panic, but it's too late by then."

Colleague Mr Jason Roth-Witty said he was very impressed by Miss Hollinshead's achievement.

He said: "I think we are all proud of Melanie. She was very brave, but I wasn't surprised at all, she would do anything."