Retirement case study – Derek takes his first sky dive, aged 83!

Inspired by the charity work undertaken by his late wife Audrey, Derek Hurry, a resident at the Bramshott Place Village retirement development in Liphook, Hampshire, took the brave decision to throw himself out of a plane for the benefit of the British Heart Foundation - pretty good going for a man of 83!

Derek did the jump in tandem with a member of the Royal Logistic Corps Silver Stars Parachute Centre, hurling themselves out of a plane at an altitude of 12,000 feet. While he describes the 38-second freefall as "mind-numbingly terrifying", Derek certainly savoured the descent more after the ‘chute had been deployed.

"The five minutes of gentle descent under the canopy were most enjoyable as I listened to my heart rate decline and took in the views of the countryside! It felt considerably better a little later after a celebratory pint of beer!" he says.

Derek raised over £3,000 for the charity by his foolhardy act. The British Heart Foundation is an organisation that he especially values, as both his parents died from heart problems that the Foundation can now treat. Both Derek and the charity are hugely grateful for the financial support he received.

Everyday life at Bramshott Place Village is usually more sedate, with a fantastic community of retirees enjoying a lively social life and facilities such as a Clubhouse, restaurant, pool and fitness centre as well as the surrounding park and woodland. The Village has a choice of two-bedroom apartments and two- and three- bedroom cottages that have been especially designed to cater for retirees. These new retirement homes allow them to lead an independent life while providing peace of mind in case of emergencies, with an alarm call system and Village Manager to call upon.

The scheme from Urban Renaissance Villages was the winner of a What House? Award for Best Retirement Development in 2010. There's a sales and marketing suite open from 10.00am to 5.00pm from Monday to Friday if you want to see the development for yourself.

Not many 83-year-olds can boast of as active a life in retirement as Derek Hurry (left), a resident of Bramshott Place Village in Liphook, who raised £3,000 for charity with his first parachute jump