Our Trustee, Ruchira, has taken on the extraordinary challenge of skydiving to help separated children get Back to Family. We asked her why she’s chosen to take part – and why she thinks you should too.
I’m Ruchira. I’ve spent the last two terms as a trustee of Hope and Homes for Children, alongside a career in marketing and brand — most recently in the wine and drinks world.
This September, as my trustee term comes to an end, I’m marking it by jumping out of a plane at 15,000 feet. Here’s why.
What inspired you to become a trustee?
My own childhood gave me an early understanding of what it means for a child not to feel safe. From the age of two, instability and fear shaped much of how I saw the world.
I can’t change that past, but I can use my experience, voice and networks to help create a safer, more hopeful future for children at risk. Hope and Homes for Children’s work felt deeply personal to me, and becoming a trustee was a meaningful way to contribute.
What about the Hope and Homes for Children mission resonates with you most?
Every child deserves to grow up safe, loved and supported in a family — not alone in an institution.
Hope and Homes for Children doesn’t simply respond to immediate need. It works to change systems, strengthen families and give children the chance to belong. Today, 5.4 million children worldwide are separated from their families and living in orphanages, even though 80% of them are not orphans.
That belief in lasting change, dignity and possibility is what resonates with me most.
What has been most rewarding about being a trustee?
Seeing the integrity, determination and humanity behind the work has been incredibly rewarding. It’s been a privilege to support an organisation that combines ambition with practical, compassionate care for children, families and communities.
I’ve also been glad to contribute my professional network and experience, particularly in supporting Hope and Homes for Children’s rebrand and wider visibility.
Is there an achievement that stands out?
The rebrand was particularly meaningful. I was able to bring people from my network together to help strengthen how the charity presents itself to the world.
Clearer storytelling and a stronger identity make it easier for people to understand both the urgency of the issue and the difference Hope and Homes for Children can make.
What will you miss most?
The people: my fellow trustees, the leadership and staff teams, and the shared commitment to ensuring every child has a safe home and a future.
My formal trustee role may be coming to an end, but my connection to Hope and Homes for Children certainly won’t.
Why take on a skydive?
As I come to the end of my second and final term, I wanted to give Hope and Homes for Children a meaningful farewell gift — something personal, visible and outside my comfort zone.
Jumping from 15,000 feet felt like a fitting way to mark the occasion, raise vital funds and invite others to stand with children whose lives can be transformed through safety, family and care.
Have you ever done anything like this before?
Once, in Australia, about 20 years ago. It seems our sense of self-preservation increases as we get older, so this time feels considerably more daunting.
I’ve taken on many challenges in life, but voluntarily stepping out of a plane at 15,000 feet never feels entirely normal.
Are you excited or nervous?
Definitely both. I’m excited by the challenge and by what it could achieve for Hope and Homes for Children. And yes, I’m nervous.
But what’s a few minutes of fear when it can help create longer-term safety and opportunity for vulnerable children?
When will the jump take place?
It’s planned for 12 September near Ashford in Kent — although the British weather will have the final say.
What do you hope it will achieve?
I hope the skydive will raise both funds and awareness for Hope and Homes for Children’s work.
So, dear readers: please donate generously if you can. Or join me by taking on a challenge of your own. You don’t have to jump from a plane — just choose something that motivates you to help more children get Back to Family.
You can support my jump today or join one of our challenges or events to get children Back to Family.
