Thetford pair ready to take skydive for Diss man following leg fracture recovery

A pair’s fund-raising skydive in honour of a man who “loved to make people laugh” is back on today.

Roger Foulger, from Diss, died on April 14, having collapsed at his Diss home in Riverside Maltings.

Now son-in-law Chris Jones, along with Roger’s niece’s husband, Alan Grierson, both from Thetford, will finally jump out of a plane at 13,000ft above Beccles Airfield tomorrow, in aid of the East Anglian Air Ambulance.

The skydiving date was initially set for July, only for Alan to break his leg.

Having now made a full recovery, the pair say they are now ready to take up the challenge for a man they also described as a “devoted family man”.

Explaining previously how the idea came about, Chris said: “After Roger’s funeral, Alan messaged me and asked if I fancied doing a skydive in memory of Roger.

“The EAAA attended to Roger and, though they were not able to take him to hospital, as he was not stable enough, they were there for him.

“It is such an incredible charity which does vital work for the area, relying on donations to keep it going – so we thought it was the perfect opportunity to give back to them as a thank you and to honour Roger.”

Asked how he described the 61-year-old self-employed property maintenance man to people who did not know him, Chris said: “He was a devoted family man, who loved to make people laugh.

“We just want to thank everyone who has donated to us so far, whether it has been a big amount or small. It has all been welcomed for this wonderful cause.”