AN adrenaline junkie and serial fundraiser who lost his wife to cancer launched himself from a plane in aid of charity.

Andrew Gardiner, 51, has been performing various stunts in aid of good causes for the past six years, raising thousands of pounds in the process.

Previously, he has tackled everything from abseiling and wing walking to bungee jumping and zip-lining, all in the name of charity.

In the past, Mr Gardiner, who has a 23-year-old daughter called Lucy, has mainly fundraised on behalf of Clacton’s Relay For Life, but due to the pandemic, the regular event has been unable to go ahead.

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However, the fundraising carried on and Mr Gardiner decided to do a death-defying skydive in aid of the Robin Cancer Trust, which was formed by Colchester’s Freeman family following the death of son and brother, Robin Freeman, aged 24.

“It was at the Beccles Airfield and the skydive was initially actually a birthday present for my 50th from my daughter,” said taxi driver Mr Gardiner, who lives in Clacton.

“The Relay For Life in Clacton also donated some money for the cost of the skydive.

“I had never done a skydive before but I was not nervous about doing it, even though it was 13,000-feet in the air.

“When I went to jump out, I just got this almighty adrenaline rush and then you just go.”

Over the past six years Mr Gardiner’s fundraising efforts have mainly been in aid of cancer charities, having been directly impacted by the awful disease on more than one occasions.

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Eight years ago his wife of nearly 16 years, Kim, 55, tragically died of incurable breast cancer and lung cancer also killed his father-in-law.

Mr Gardiner’s dad has also previously fought skin cancer, and his mum has bravely battled breast cancer in the past.

His most recent stunt has since raised more than £200 for the Robin Cancer Trust which educates young people on the signs and symptoms of testicular and ovarian cancers and offers support to newly diagnosed youngsters going through treatment.

He added: “Cancer charities are close to my heart and going forward I will likely do more bits for both the Robin Cancer Trust and Relay For Life.

“With everything I do, even if it just stops one family from having to go through what we have then I have done a good thing.

“Because cancer does take a hell of a lot out of you, and when you see a person you love go from the person they were and to what they end up like, you don’t wish that on anyone else.

“If you have never been through it, you really cannot know what it was like.”

Mr Gardiner’s skydive fundraising page can still be accessed.

To donate visit justgiving.com/fundraising/andrew-gardiner51