70-year-old from Littleport completes Indoor Skydive

Jayn's completed the Indoor Skydive to mark her birthday.

She also loves flying and she has been in a helicopter, a microlight, and a hot air balloon, as well as parascending, which involves flying with a parachute.

Jayn, a resident at Sactuary Housing's Supported Living service also walks two miles a day, at least six days a week, stepping out for around half an hour a day.

Jayn moved from London to Ely in 2017 and has also started playing an active role in service since she became a resident in 2022.

She tells her story to mark Mental Health Awareness Week from 13 to 19 May.

Jayn says:

"Since moving here, I’ve felt very safe and supported. The staff are very professional and it’s great to be part of such a lovely, friendly community – everyone made me feel very welcome when I moved in and there’s always someone to talk to, so it’s never lonely.

Living in a retirement community means that I can live as independently as I want and keep being active. I can have easy contact with others, while knowing that I have a home that will also be suitable for me in the long-term, where I can get support later on, if I need it.

My family and friends mean the world to me, and it’s nice to be closer to them, and be able to go out and enjoy the local area together, but I always look forward to coming back to Baird Lodge, and I feel very fortunate to call it home".

Sanctuary encourages residents to get involved in services and have input into how they’re run – this includes the ‘Family and Friends Test’.

By being a Family and Friends Test assessor, Jayn gets to visit other services, meet other residents and members of staff, and report back on what’s going well, and where there are areas for improvement.