A devoted granddaughter is preparing to jump out of a plane in aid of Weston Hospicecare in memory of her grandma.

Ellie Young, from Weston-super-Mare, has lost four family members to cancer over the past couple of years and two other relatives are in remission or battling the condition.

The former Mercury reporter and adrenaline-junky decided to cross off one of the items on her bucket list by completing a skydive from 15,000ft on September 21 to raise cash for a charity which cares for people with the disease.

She said: "Last August we received the devastating news that my grandma, Irene Morris, had been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of ovarian cancer.

"After a big surgery to have her ovaries removed, we then looked forward to the hope of more time with her as she prepared for chemotherapy.

"Sadly, it was not to be when the morphine made her sick and too weak to have chemotherapy.

"The cancer spread to the lining of her pelvis and it was at this point she was admitted to our local hospice."

Irene, who lived in Sussex with her husband, was admitted to St Barnabas Hospice, where she spent the rest of her days.

Ellie, aged 24, said the support her grandma and the rest of her family received from the hospice was 'second-to-none' and she is keen to raise as much as she can for Weston's hospice.

She said: "The care given at the hospice was second-to-none and the support they gave our family in that time showcased the very best these hospice charities have to offer.

"When the opportunity to do something for Weston Hospicecare arose, I had to jump at the chance - literally.

"It is places like Weston Hospicecare that give families the support, love and smiling face you need when you are having the worst day of your life.

"Skydiving has been on my bucket list for as long as I can remember as the adrenaline-junky in the family.

"While Weston Hospice didn't directly look after my grandma or my other relatives who have been struck down by the horrific disease, I can't give up the opportunity to raise money for such an unbelievable cause like this."

You can sponsor Ellie by logging on to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ellie-young24