Joy wings it for charity

An Ilkeston woman has been expressing how she felt after taking to the air on a wing walk after her husband bought her the experience as a Christmas present.

73-year old Joy McFarland ticked off an item on her so called bucket list and in doing so, was seeking to raise money for Diabetes UK.  

Her daughter, now aged 44, has had type 1 since the age of 7 and injects insulin up to 6 times a day.

Joy previously spoke about the inspiration for selecting Diabetes as the beneficiaries of her fundraising exploits.  She said that diabetes affects not only the sufferer but also the family and added that further funds are needed for research into finding a cure.

On Saturday 22nd June 2024, she made the journey from Derbyshire to Wickenby Airfield in Lincolnshire and upon her return home, a jubilant Joy sent the team at Erewash Sound a collection of just some of the photographs which had been taken on such an exciting day.

Earlier in the year, Joy joined Paul on the Erewash Sound Breakfast Show (click the 'Play' button below to listen) in order to look ahead in anticipation of and excitement for the day in which she would be strapped up on top of the classic aircraft before taking to the air.

She is now looking forward to returning to the Media Centre to talk about it retrospectively, but in the period immediately after the wing walk had been completed, she contacted Radio Station Manager Jeff Martin and said: "Good morning!  I DID IT!  It was amazing!"