For an acrophobe, Mirror Group general manager and group newspaper sales director Neil Jagger is set to make a pretty good skydiver... with the knowledge that he is helping a favourite charity to ease his fears.

With five Trinity Mirror colleagues, Newstraid's Helen Ryan and a couple of others, Jagger says he "somehow agreed" to the fundraising tandem skydive in September, "despite being pretty damn scared of heights".

Friends, colleagues and anyone else who knows him - GXpress met Neil Jagger at the INMA Global Awards dinner at the Victoria & Albert museum last month - are invited to support the venture, which aims to raise £10,000 ($20,000) for the newspaper sales and distribution industry charity.

For details and to donate, go to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/neiljaggerjump

Also taking part from Trinity Mirror are Darren Powell, Susan Bull, Laura Bolt, Debbie Sartoris and Kevin Marshall, plus Dorothy King (Call On Us) and Paul Baxter (NFRN).

The jump is set for Sibson airfield near Peterborough on September 23.

"Newstraid is the news trade's own charity to help those that have fallen on hard times, and if you are able to sponsor me that would be amazing," he says.

The NewstrAid Benevolent Fund has been in existence for more than 175 years, having been founded in 1839 to provide welfare for the desperately poor newspaper street sellers of London. A founding father was Charles Dickens, who was president from 1854 to his death in 1870.

The UK charity provides welfare for people who are or have been, employed in the distribution, wholesale and retail of newspapers and magazines in the UK, and includes their immediate family and dependants who are in need, hardship or distress.

It relies on the volunteers who help with fundraising, donate their time by becoming an almoner, attend events, or offer business sponsorship.

To support Neil and the charity, go to http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/neiljaggerjump