STAFF at a care home have helped a resident suffering from cerebral palsy complete one of their goals by taking part in a 15,000ft sky dive.

Avril Hardman, who also suffers with learning disabilities, has been at Edgar Street Residential Care Home in Huncoat for 20 years and completed the task alongside two staff members.

Staff arranged the challenge to mark her 40th birthday, in November, and give her the chance to tick something off her bucket list ‘she didn’t think was possible’ before.

Miss Hardman, 39, said: “It was amazing, I was really excited and I really enjoyed it.

“I wanted to do it again. I never imagined I’d get chance to do something like that.

“I felt like I was flying.”

She completed the challenge alongside Katie Barnes, the service manager and another staff member, Debbie Lentell, who were doing it to mark their 30th and 40th birthdays respectively, which are this year.

Miss Hardman moved to the home after finishing at Beaumont College in Lancaster, along with her five of her friends.

She required 24-hour care from staff at the home but was keen to still have her independence.

Mrs Barnes, 30, said: “There were worries she wouldn’t be able to walk again, let alone do this.

“She wanted to bring back her independence.

“We were talking about doing a number of challenges and when the sky dive came up she was determined that’s what she wanted to do. She was in tears of joy after.”

In the weeks before the event, Miss Hardman also decided to raise money for charity with the dive, and collected £156 for the Sense Charity in Accrington where she works.

The skydive took a total of 18 months of planning, preparation, risk assessments and health checks to do before it took place at the Black Knights Parachute Centre in Lancaster.

Mrs Lentell took part in the challenge to raise money for her cousin who is battling terminal cancer.

The care home is an all-female centre and is home to six residents.

Miss Barnes said: “The best part of it was to see Avril’s face. It was phenomenal, I loved doing it, you can’t describe the feeling."