RETIRED Army captain Tom Vesey was taking the plunge on Friday (September 19) to raise money for Stogumber’s new village shop premises by making a 12,000 feet parachute jump at the age of 84 years.

Mr Vesey said: "I know it is a ridiculous thing to.do.

“But there is no fool like an old fool, as my wife Fran says."

Mr Veysey has been training for the challenge for some time and will jump strapped to an experienced free-fall parachutist at an airfield near Salisbury.

He said: “He will do all the hard work.

“I just have to keep my feet out of the way as he hopefully lands us safely.”

Mr Veysey, who lives in Stogumber and was an Army captain for 10 years, has dreamed of making a free-fall jump for 65 years since he did half-a-dozen static line parachute jumps from hot air balloons and aircraft while officer training at the Sandhurst Military Academy.

He said: "The ’chutes opened automatically, but it was terrifying when we first jumped and even more so when the ground started coming up terribly quickly."

Mr Veysey currently works a few hours a week along with 64 other volunteers running the popular village community shop which was taken over in April, 2023, when the previous owners retired, and is now run as a community benefit society.

However, it was recognised the shop needed to relocate and between them villagers raised nearly £190,000 through a share issue last year to help buy the freehold of a neighbouring property, 4 High Street.

The community benefit society was twice rejected for funding by the National Lottery, but eventually it was awarded a £36,416 grant by the Rural England Prosperity Fund, via Somerset Council.

A second share offer was launched which has now raised sufficient money to cover the building work and shop fittings costs and moving in the Post Office.

However, the society still needs funds for other work, to which will go the money Mr Veysey raises.

Mr Veysey said: “I will be paying all my own expenses so all the money will go toward the shop.”

Anybody who wants to buy shares or make a donation for the shop can do so via its website.

A spokesperson said: “Community shops are run democratically, on the basis of one-member one-vote, no matter how much money you put in.

“All shareholders are encouraged to play a part in the running of the shop”

“According to research by The Plunkett Foundation community shops are long lived with a survival rate of 92 per cent whereas, in the last five years only 44 per cent of small, start-up commercial enterprises have survived.”

Stogumber Shop opens seven days a week, 8 am to 1 pm and 5 pm to 7 pm on weekdays, 8 am to 12 noon on Saturday, and 8 am to 11 am on Sunday, while the Post Office opens 9 am to 12.30 pm on weekdays, except Wednesday when its closes at 12 noon.