Up, up and away!

Lockdown is probably driving us all a little crazy, so what better way to escape than going up, up and away with Cornwall Care.

In keeping with their 25th anniversary fundraising theme of Reach for the Moon, the charity is running a virtual balloon race from Land’s End from 1-8 April.

For just £3 per entry, competitors can create their own personalised balloon – deciding how much helium to fill it with, how thick the rubber should be and its colour, shape and pattern. Each one can also be labelled.

Live weather data combined with advanced mathematical and physics algorithms will decide the balloons’ direction and speed as they virtually fly north, south, east or west.

First prize for the winners is dinner, bed and breakfast for two at the 4* Alverton Hotel in Truro, second prize includes free admission for four people to the Eden Project and Hangloose Adventure ‘Skywire’ tickets and third prize is a three-course dinner for two cooked in the winner’s own home by The Cornish Chef.

“This promises to be an exciting, interactive event that will make our imaginations take flight and soar,” said Cornwall Care Head of Fundraising Jan Burns. “Designing and individualising the balloons is fun and competitors can follow the race online.

“With Mother’s Day and Easter coming up, buying a balloon makes a great gift. With all the constraints the Covid pandemic has brought, broadening your own or someone else’s horizons in a safe, environmentally friendly way should feel really good. Even better, all money raised goes towards providing our residents with stimulating activities that enhance their mental and physical well-being.”

Cornwall Care is the largest independent charity of its kind in the South West. First established in 1996, its highly skilled team looks after elderly and vulnerable people in sixteen residential homes and through a network of community outreach services.

For more information about the virtual balloon race, visit https://cornwallcare.rentaballoonrace.com/