A hospital finance manager swapped her calculator for a parachute to help add up the pennies for a children's charity.

Saroj Patel, of the Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals Trust, jumped 10,000ft from an aeroplane to raise 2,000 for the Make-a-Wish Foundation.

Ms Patel, pictured with the charity's mascot, Captain Wishbone, said: "It was the experience of a lifetime. We were the last group to go up at about 5pm and the air was very cold.

"When we left the aeroplane, we were in free fall down to 6,000ft when the parachute opened. We even fell through cloud!"

The charity grants wishes for youngsters with life-threatening illnesses. It is the largest organisation of its kind and is established in 20 countries.