Buckingham men skydive for dad and raise £9k to help Parkinson’s research

Three men from Buckingham have raised over £9,000 for Parkinson’s UK, by taking part in a charity skydive.

Alastair Houghton-Brown, aged 46, brother-in-law Adam Dawson, 51, and friend Richard Dawson, 50, faced their fears to complete the skydive at Hinton-in-the-Hedges Airfield last month.

The trio decided to fundraise for Parkinson’s UK because Alistair’s father, Anthony Houghton-Brown, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2006.

Anthony had been hoping to join them in the skydiving challenge , but was advised against it by his neurologist as it posed an ‘unacceptable risk’ due to his condition.

Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, and currently there is no cure. It affects around 145,000 people in the UK and every hour two more people are diagnosed. There are over 40 symptoms, from tremor and pain to anxiety.

Parkinson’s UK is the largest charitable funder of Parkinson’s research in Europe, leading the way to better treatments and a cure.

Anthony, who was a teacher at Akeley Wood School, says his ‘diagnosis changed his life’, forcing him into early retirement as he lost confidence in completing daily tasks such as writing on the board for his students.

Since his diagnosis, Anthony has focused his efforts on becoming more physically and mentally active and raising funds for Parkinson’s UK.

And to date he has raised an incredible £32,000 by completing challenges including a 320ft abseil down the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth in 2018, and a skydive in Hampshire in 2014.

Anthony said: “I’m really proud of Alastair, Adam and Richard for raising such an incredible amount from the skydive, bringing our fundraising total to an incredible £32,000.

"All the proceeds will go towards funding Parkinson’s UK’s research. Parkinson’s research is vital to finding a cure for this condition that I have to live with every day.”

Regional fundraiser Katy Slade said: “We want to say a huge thank you to Anthony, Adam, Alastair, and Richard for supporting Parkinson’s UK. Without our amazing fundraisers, the work we do just wouldn’t be possible.

“Together, we can drive forward pioneering research so we can develop better treatments and a cure for the condition.”

To sponsor the family’s fundraising challenge, visit justgiving.com//teamterrafirma