Community Verified source

Tees Valley supporters raise more than £12,000 for MFC Foundation in 14,000ft skydive

Listen to this article1 min · Best available voice selected automatically

Twenty-one volunteers took the plunge at Shotton Colliery Airfield to support the Foundation’s community work.

By The Tees Editorial Desk · 7 October 2026

Tees Valley supporters raise more than £12,000 for MFC Foundation in 14,000ft skydive – The Tees editorial graphic Image: The TeesOriginal source

Need something explained?Tap a highlighted word, phrase or concept, or select any part of the article and choose Explain this.

Twenty-one volunteers have raised more than £12,000 for MFC Foundation after swapping solid ground for a 14,000ft tandem skydive.

The group took part at Shotton Colliery Airfield after completing training with professional instructors. Their jumps included around 30 seconds of freefall before parachutes opened for the descent over County Durham and the North Sea.

The money will support MFC Foundation’s work with communities across Tees Valley. Donations were still arriving when the Foundation reported the total, turning one very big collective leap into practical support for local programmes.

Good stuff from around here

A little more good news

Facts, history, records and bright spots from across the Tees. Tap the source if you fancy going down the local-history rabbit hole.

Nature comeback

Seals, otters and terns are part of the Tees story now

The Canal & River Trust says the recovering river around the barrage supports wildlife including seals, otters, cormorants and common terns, a striking change from the heavily polluted Tees remembered by earlier generations.

Source: Canal & River Trust

Victorian engineering

Saltburn Pier originally stretched for 457 metres

The Victorian pier was originally about 457 metres long before storms in 1875 led to it being shortened. Today it remains one of Saltburn’s best-known landmarks.

Source: Historic England

Middlesbrough

The Transporter has been a Tees landmark since 1911

Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge opened on 17 October 1911. Its moving platform let people and vehicles cross the Tees while keeping the shipping channel below clear.

Source: Historic England

River Tees

The Tees Barrage was a £55 million engineering project

Opened in 1995 after four years of construction, the barrage used around 650 tonnes of steel and has four enormous floodgates weighing 50 tonnes each.

Source: Canal & River Trust

Spot something incorrect?

Tell the newsroom what needs checking. We’ll review the article and source.

Report a correction →