A TOWN councillor hoping to jump into the record books has received a surprise £500 donation from Dame Judi Dench.
Horley town councillor David Powell is skydiving from 30,000ft this June to raise money for the Royal British Legion.
Mr Powell wrote to Dame Judi, who is a member of the Royal British Legion's Outwood branch, four weeks ago to explain what he was doing.
Mr Powell said: "I wrote to her and told her what I was doing and I put in that my jump won't be as good as James Bond's but it will be good enough."
He added: "I saw her donation on the website, it was a Saturday morning.
"I was very excited when I saw it."
The location for the jump is near Memphis, USA, which is the only place in the world licensed to provide such skydive arrangements for civilians.
Mr Powell, 78, completed his first skydive in May last year in aid of the Surrey Care Trust, but this time he is doubling the height.
The jump could earn him a place in the record books after 70-year-old Ray Woodcock claimed to be the oldest person to have ever completed a 30,000ft skydive in November 2012.
The cost of the jump and the training is $2,800 (about £1,700) – which is being funded by Mr Powell.
To sponsor Mr Powell go to: www.justgiving.com/david-percy-powell-rmp
