AN 87-year-old woman showed her daredevil spirit when she jumped at the chance to parachute from a plane, at more than 14,000ft, to help a good cause.

Adeline Franken, of Silverdale, proved age is no barrier when she braved a skydive from Cark Airfield, near Flookburgh, to raise funds for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, which she believes does not get the credit it deserves.

The opportunity arose at a Women’s Institute meeting in her home village when volunteers were asked to take part in the hair-raising challenge, which saw her drop through the air at 120mph.

After a training session from the ‘friendly and kind’ staff, Mrs Franken boarded the small plane and took to the skies.

And, securely harnessed to a professional skydiving inst- ructor, she leapt from the plane and into the clear blue skies above South Lakeland for an experience of a lifetime.

Mrs Franken said: “They asked if anyone would do it, and I said: ‘I will’.

“I’m not really a daredevil, but it was just something that came up and I decided to go for it.

“I didn’t feel apprehensive before it because it is perf-ectly safe and the staff were so wonderful and made you feel so welcome as soon as you got there.

“The young man who was my jump partner was absolutely fantastic with me.

“I’m so glad I did it because it was fantastic.

“It was quite awesome actually.

“You are falling at 120 miles an hour for a minute and then the parachute comes out. I found it quite exhil-arating.

“I am just pleased to be able to help the RNLI.

“It is my favourite charity, but nobody ever seems to mention them. They do a fantastic job.”

If you would like to help Mrs Franken with her fundraising efforts, you can donate money to the RNLI by contacting 0845 1214999.