FOR dozens of fundraising dare-devils Valentine's Day proved a little more heart-stopping than usual.

James Mortlock

FOR dozens of fundraising dare-devils Valentine's Day proved a little more heart-stopping than usual.

Soppy cards, candlelit dinners and romantic proposals were firmly on the back burner for this bunch - as they, one by one, hurled themselves from the top of a 160ft crane - all in the name of their love for St Nicholas Hospice Care in Bury St Edmunds.

The St Valentine's adrenaline rush seekers were invited to take part in the novel charity bungee jump held to raise money for a cash-strapped hospice.

The bungee jump was held at the Bury rugby ground on Saturday and Sunday and raised thousands of pounds for the hospice - with individuals raising �100 to jump for free or �125 to get a free t-shirt, saying “I did it on a piece of elastic for St Nicholas Hospice Care”.

The jump directly supported St Nicholas Hospice Care's vital service for life-limiting and terminally ill local people. Bosses at the charity recently warned they would have to cut jobs unless they could fill a �500,000 gap in funding caused by the recession.

Breast and ovarian cancer survivor Julia Mothersole, 54, was the first to jump. She raised �300 for the charity and said afterwards: “It was just fantastic. I did a sky dive seven years ago and it was just the same feeling.”

Mrs Mothersole, of Elmswell, urged people to put their hands in the pockets for the hospice: “One day you might need it - just like I did.”

Jennifer Dunlop, 23, of Thurston, who also jumped, said: “It was such an adrenaline rush. You don't really realise what you're doing until you're bouncing up and down. It was an amazing experience.”

Jenny Baskett, challenge and events fundraiser at the hospice, said since bosses announced they would have to make job cuts unless the funding shortfall was made up there had been an increase in donations and the number of people queuing to take part in the bungee jump was encouraging.

However, she urged people to continue to support the hospice, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary: “We have to raise �10,000 every day to keep the hospice going. We're extremely grateful for the response to this event but we need to carry on fundraising and encouraging people to give.”