Harwich man says thank you for pandemic support with skydive

A man from Harwich is set to jump out of a plane next month to raise money for The Salvation Army.

Ollie Kidd became a self-employed freelance contractor spraying car parts before the pandemic hit. When the first lockdown started, he found himself out of work and unable to apply for government help as he had only recently set up his business.

Ollie, who has a family of six to support, said his financial responsibilities left him in a desperate state when the factory where he was working closed down for 10 weeks. That’s when The Salvation Army stepped into help.

He said: “I rang our landlord to say we were unable to pay our rent and not long after that, angels arrived out of nowhere in the form of the local Salvation Army’s officers.”

Ollie paid tribute to Shawn and Victoria Moye, The Salvation Army’s leaders in Harwich who delivered food parcels to the family and topped up their gas card and electric key throughout the pandemic. He said they have been a constant support.

He added: “They have made life a little bit more bearable and are always there on the end of the phone. We feel we have new members of our family that we can turn to when life gets hard. Without them, I don’t know where we would be now.”

Ollie married his long term partner three weeks before the skydive, which is due to take place in Norwich on 4 September.

Vic Moye said she and Shawn were very grateful for Ollie’s efforts. The corps have been supporting the local community throughout the pandemic, delivering more than 60,000 meals.

She said: “Shawn and I wish Ollie all the best and we’re in awe that he’s decided to do something so daring to say thank you. His efforts will help us continue to support other families experiencing similar hardships.”

To sponsor him, go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/oliver-kidd or to become a FEARLESS FUNDRAISER get your info pack here