Summary
A hospice nurse will brave 10,000ft in a skydive this week inspired by her 83-year-old patient, Colin.
Julie Stevens is part of the Community Nursing Team at Martlets, the hospice for Brighton and Hove. She met Colin just days before Christmas in 2025 when he was referred to the hospice for palliative care. She now visits Colin regularly and quickly realised there was something special about this octogenarian.
Julie said: “I first met Colin shortly after he was diagnosed, and he showed me wonderful pictures of all the things he and his wife, Angela, had done for Martlets – including a skydive just last year! He said if I ever get the opportunity, I must do it too. So, when I saw it come up for September, I thought, ‘I know what I’m going to do!’”
16 years of heartfelt fundraising
Colin and Angela have supported Martlets for 16 years, only stopping when Colin received his diagnosis of motor neurone disease. But in that time, the Peacehaven pair have fundraised, volunteered and taken on a variety of challenges including the skydive for Colin and the world’s fastest zip wire for them both.
Colin and Angela at the zip wire
“We’ve done all sorts,” Colin said. “I loved the freefall of the skydive. It was fantastic, and I’m sure Julie will enjoy it as much as I did.” He added: “We did the zip wire just a year ago as we’d done everything else. It was a lot faster and scarier than I thought!”
Still active into their 80s, Colin shared that the couple were ‘heartbroken’ not to be able to get out and keep supporting the hospice. He’s delighted though that nurse Julie is taking up the mantle in his honour with her skydive on 19 September. From golf days to bucket collections and even helping out at a DJ set with fellow Martlets’ supporter Fatboy Slim, the couple are well-known and much-loved in the Martlets community.
Colin said: “It’s heartbreaking that we can no longer fundraise. It’s one of the worst things about my diagnosis, not being able to get out and meet people.”
Reassuring emotional and physical support
While the couple miss the camaraderie of volunteering, the hospice has now come to them through Julie and the team, who are on hand to offer support and advice. Colin said: “We’ve got friendly with so many people since coming under Martlets’ care. We’ve heard so many good things about them over the years, so it feels reassuring to know that I’m being cared for.”
Colin and Clinical Nurse Specialist Julie
Julie added: “For patients like Colin, who are living with quite a complex disease, the hospice supports with symptom control but also emotional support, too. As a clinical nurse specialist, I listen carefully and take time to understand a person’s diagnosis and symptoms, but also how their condition affects their emotional, psychological and physical wellbeing, too.”
The couple were originally inspired to raise awareness and funds for Martlets when two of their friends were supported by the hospice at the end of their lives. In the years since, they’ve raised an incredible £9,000 for local hospice care.
Community Fundraising Manager Henna Edwards has worked with Colin and Angela for many years, watching in awe as they’ve stepped forward for every challenge available. Henna said: “Colin and Angela are simply an inspiration. Whether volunteering, fundraising or just bringing a smile to our faces at our events, our volunteers really become part of the hospice family, and this is so true for them both. We’re so grateful for the couple’s long-term support and fundraising and I’m glad this is carrying on through Julie’s skydive. The whole team has been inspired by their adventurous spirit.”
For Julie, skydiving in Colin’s honour feels like a fitting way to show her thanks for all he and Angela have done for the hospice. But it isn’t the first fundraising challenge Julie has taken on. She and a team of nurses from Martlets completed the Brighton 10K earlier this year, raising just over £3,000 (including Gift Aid). Her patients are already offering her advice for her next challenge.
“I had a good luck card from another patient who actually wrote ‘please look left and right before you land. I know how accident prone you are!’ But in all seriousness, I know they’ll be cheering me on, and I can’t wait to show Colin pictures from the day.”
The vital value of community support
Volunteers like Colin and Angela help with everything from working in the hospice’s cafe to helping at fundraising events. In 2026, volunteers across Southern Hospice Group – which comprises Martlets and two other local hospices – are expected to contribute 140,000 hours of time. That’s the equivalent of £1.79 million.
Angela, Colin and Julie look at press coverage of Colin’s skydive
Colin said being part of Martlets’ volunteer team gave him and Angela a great feeling of doing something good for the community: “It’s so rewarding feeling the collection buckets fill up throughout your shifts. We were like a little team, often collecting with the same people. It makes you feel really involved with the community.”
Julie is hoping her skydive will not only raise money for the hospice, but inspire others in the community to get involved, just like Colin and Angela have. “Everyone knows that hospices are under financial pressure, so I’m hoping that my skydive – inspired by Colin – will motivate other people in Brighton and Hove and the Havens to get out and volunteer too. We need your support.”
It costs almost £12m to run Martlets each year with the NHS grant covering just over a fifth of these costs. Patients, families and colleagues rely on the generosity of the local community to fund the majority of the income.
Colin added: “We’d like to thank all those who support Martlets time and time again. The hospice has always been there for us when we needed them. I’m sure they’re sick of the sight of me! But just a big thank you to all the supporters.”
Southern Hospice Group Skydive Day is taking place on 19 September at Maidstone Airfield. To support Julie, visit her JustGiving page or read more about the event.
Published: 14 September 2026