A YORK civic figure took the plunge for charity with a tandem parachute jump.

Vicky Walpole, who as the Sheriff's Lady is part of the Lord Mayor's civic party, made the jump yesterday at Bridlington airfield in aid of the mental health charity Mind.

The money raised will be dedicated towards improving the lives of the one in four people in Britain who currently experience a mental health problem. Vickey said: "I know people who have had mental health problems and who had trouble getting access to correct diagnosis and proper treatment.

"It's an area of health provision where sometimes diagnosis is not right first time, and often people are not prioritised for treatment until they have extreme problems because there are not enough resources.

"The work of Mind makes a huge difference to supporting people and families with mental distress, and lobbies for fairer treatment for people with mental problems.

"We have had a lot of support from colleagues at NHS Estates and the money my five colleagues and I raise will go to help support Mind services."

Updated: 10:33 Wednesday, June 23, 2004