A 73-YEAR-OLD dog lover has been so over-awed by a charity that she became involved in that she’s decided to take the high jump to help raise funds. Hilda Clayton has always loved dogs and has had many in her lifetime. Although she still works at a nursing home preparing meals, Hilda has also been a dedicated volunteer for the Support Dogs charity for around 12 months now and loves spending time there. Support Dogs is a UK charity dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with epilepsy, physical disabilities and children with autism by training dogs to act as efficient and safe assistants. The dogs are trained to assist and support their owners with their specific disability. Each dog is taught tasks tailored to his owner's needs, enabling the disabled person to lead a fuller and more independent life. Now, in a bid to raise funds for the cause, Hilda, originally from Munich in Germany, is to take to the skies for a parachute jump. Hilda told Look Local: “Ever since I got involved with the charity, I have been blown away by these dogs. They are wonderful and the way they change people’s lives is unbelievable. “There are dogs that can fetch tablets for their owners or whatever needs doing. They are so special and the help so many people – it’s very touching. “I decided to do the sky dive because I just wanted to do anything I can help. I’ve never done anything like this before but I’m really looking forward to it. It’ll be fun.” If you want to help Hilda by sponsoring her, contact Look Local at news@looklocal.org.uk or call 0114 2831100.