Sister’s sky dive raises thousands in memory of West Mercia officer
22 June 2026
‘I’d do it again in a heartbeat,’ says the sister of West Mercia Police officer Dane Roleston-Lowe after completing a charity skydive in memory of her late brother.
Nena Hodges overcame her fear of heights to jump from 10,400 feet in support of men’s mental health.
She said: "I really don’t like heights. I went up a tower at Hawkston Follies in Shropshire. It was a really windy day I was not overly keen to look at the views because I could feel the structure swaying slightly in the wind.
“So to go from not liking that and then leaping from a plane, is quite something really.”
Nena said that despite her nerves, the experience was one of the most incredible moments of her life.
"It was amazing. I've not quite got over the euphoria," she said. "I didn't expect it to be as incredible as it was."
Nena did the jump in memory of her brother Dane, who died by suicide in 2025, leaving Nena and his family ‘heartbroken’.
Nena completed the jump in aid of the charity Talk Club, which aims to help men improve their mental health. So far, she has raised £3,700 through her JustGiving page.
Challenges
The day brought its own challenges, with poor weather threatening to cancel the jump for a fourth time.
Having already seen three previous attempts postponed, Nena faced an anxious five-hour wait at the airfield in Whitchurch as rain showers and low cloud lingered.
Nena said: “It was nerve-racking. As we were driving there, it was raining and I thought that it was not going to happen. That just adds to the anxiety."
Thankfully, a break in the weather eventually arrived. Supported by her husband, parents, sister, children and her five grandchildren, Nena was determined to see the challenge through.
She credited her tandem instructor, Dave, an experienced skydiver of around 2,700 jumps, for helping her stay calm.
"From the moment he said hello, he put my mind at ease," she said. " I asked how many jumps he’d done and he said this was my first one!
“That just made me laugh and he made me laugh the whole time.”
Nena admitted to having second thoughts as the plane climbed towards jumping height.
Really cold
She said: “There was a brief second where I thought what was I doing?
“Then I thought ‘come on, Nena. You've raised over £3,600. You're invested. You've got to do this’."
Moments later she was at the open door of the aircraft, suspended above the Shropshire countryside.
She said: "The noise of the wind was incredible, and the air was really sharp. It was really cold.
“Then suddenly we were gone.
Beautiful
"You imagine your stomach will lurch, but it doesn't. It's just you and the air.
“You're pushing against the air and the air is pushing against you. It's the most incredible feeling.
"You can see for miles and miles. It was just beautiful.”
After around five minutes in the air, Nena landed safely back on the ground and immediately wanted to do it again.
“I wanted to go straight back up," she said. "I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Next time I'd do it just for fun."
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