Tomorrow (Wednesday), Leeds priest Darren Percival is taking on Europe's largest and fastest zip wire to raise money for a local charity in East Leeds.
Fr Darren is Interim Priest of Saint Hilda's Cross Green and Saint Saviour’s Richmond Hill. He’s also Operations Manager at Magna Science & Adventure Centre in Rotherham, and along with his colleague, Bentley Stockley, he’ll be flying over a quarry lake in North Wales at over 100mph.
He says, “Richmond Hill and Cross Green sit in the lowest 2% of deprivation in the UK, and I’ve become very aware of the impact of poverty since I began working here last April. Some can’t even afford bare essentials such as bedding, plates and cutlery. But while eating with people at the Community lunch group at Saint Hilda's each week, I’ve seen first-hand how the charity Community Unity helps. They provide lunches, clothing, bedding and food to those on the bread line. They also fund a kids’ cooking club and a youth club. It’s an all-round community project in an area that most people have forgotten about.
“I’m specifically raising money for the charity to provide Christmas food hampers - for those of the community I minister to who would go without nothing. There are children who won’t receive a gift and families who can’t afford to provide a Christmas dinner - and they’re living amongst us, sat beside us, too desperate to speak out. So if you can, please give generously on my Justgiving page.
“And wish us luck! I’ve done zip wiring before, but it was over a river; this time it’s longer and over a canyon, so I’m a lot more nervous. Right, now to get practicing our superman poses!”