Hospice flight is down but not out

Lisa Pearson at Dovestones

Dr Kershaws charity fundraiser Lisa Pearson has vowed that the hospice’s “Great Hang-Gliding Adventure” WILL go ahead.

She is determined to reschedule the high-profile flight, called off only three days before the Dovestone Reservoir event in Saddleworth due to unforeseen problems.

Sitting at the edge of the windswept reservoir, Lisa said: “I’m determined it will go ahead next year.”

The adventure should have taken place on Saturday, 30 years to the day since the original “flight” over the reservoir by a volunteer holding a hand-knitted hang glider made by hospice supporters.

Local groups and individual knitters were invited to produce four-inch woollen squares which could be stitched together over a wooden hang-glider frame.

But with Saturday’s recreation called off, Lisa had to spend her time apologising to people who made the trek to the reservoir to watch.

“People were very understanding - in fact several made donations. And the efforts by scores of kind-hearted knitters won’t be wasted,” she promised.

“We’ve got scores of squares and our volunteers will stitch them into blankets for the elderly and for homeless and animal charities.”