Charity Skydive 2025 – 4 May 2025

Nine brave (or mad) staff members and friends of St Luke’s Home are jumping out of a plane to raise vital funds for two worthy charities!

On Sunday 4 May, the team will take to the skies to skydive for the very first (and probably only) time to jointly fundraise for St Luke’s Charity & Home and the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust.

Founded in 1872, St Luke’s Charity & Home is Ireland’s first and oldest residential care home and Cork’s leading provider of residential care to older people in the region, ensuring all its residents and Daycare clients experience the very best clinical, physical, social and spiritual care and enjoy the best quality of life.

As specialists in Dementia care, St Luke’s also champions the advancement of Dementia education and research and provides specialist Dementia care training to the health sector across Munster.

Sadly, the numbers of people living with Dementia in Ireland (currently >55,000), a condition for which there is currently no cure, is set to more than double to >113,000 by 2036.  St Luke’s Charity and Home are leading the charge to provide additional Dementia care facilities, beds and resources in the Cork area.

The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust aims to alleviate the financial hardship of bereaved families repatriating the body (bodies) of loved one(s) who have died abroad in sudden or tragic circumstances back to Ireland.

KBRT was founded out of a family tragedy when, in June 2013, Kevin Bell died suddenly in New York. Following an outpouring of support from Kevin’s friends, family and colleagues, a significant amount of funds were raised to repatriate his remains back to Ireland. As a permanent legacy to Kevin, the Bell family decided to use the funds to establish a charity to help other families who find themselves in a similar situation. Help comes in the form of financial support as well as advice and guidance on getting the remains of loved ones home as soon as possible.

Anyone who wishes to support these daredevils can do so through the event’s fundraising page at https://www.idonate.ie/event/CharitySkydive2025