A SEVENTY FIVE-YEAR-OLD charity worker took to the air to raise much-needed funds.

Val Chiswell, of Britten Crescent, Great Baddow, took on a wing-walking challenge for the Helping Hands Essex charity, which she is chairman of.

The charity offers a full, structured programme to recovering alcoholics and works with residential and non-residential clients in their early days free from drink.

This is not Val’s first fundraising adventure as last year she had the charity’s logo tattooed on her arm for her 75th birthday and raised more than £1,000.

Val said she was looking into doing a wing-walking challenge and found out that she didn’t have much time left.

She said: “To take part in a wing walk you cannot be older than 75 and they do not do it after November.

“I am not afraid of heights at all, so I was not scared. I think that the people on the ground were more scared about me taking part.

“I expected it to be very cold up there but it wasn’t too bad at all.

“I wore two warm tops and a warm pair of trousers.”

Grandmother Val said it was a fabulous experience and she felt calm during the challenge.

The wing walk took place on Sunday, September 25 at Damyns Aerodrome, in Upminster.

She added: “The view from the plane was amazing - from the height of 600 feet I could see all across London and all the major London landmarks, such as The Shard.

“This may have been the last opportunity I had to take to the skies like this, but it is certainly a first and another off my bucket list.

“There are two options to choose from when doing a wing walk, you can take the option where the plane flies straight and steady or you can take the option where the plane ducks and dives.

“I thought, well people have been very kind and have donated to my cause, so I chose the more difficult option.

“I have a target of £1,500 and so far I have raised about £1,300.”

Mrs Chiswell said the charity is in desperate need of funds and so she is raising cash to help the administration side of the charity.

She said: “We rely so heavily on donations and support like that and we don’t really get any funding at all.

“We are in need of a better computer system to help the staff with their reports and work like that.

“We also work with qualified counsellors and so we have wages to pay and other expenses that any funding would go towards.

“I want to thank all the supporters of the charity and those who backed me for this challenge.”

Val has an online sponsorship page - to donate, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/valchiswellwingwalk