YOUNG “daredevil” Steven Mortimer, his mum and brother will take on a 10,000ft skydive to help three charities.

Steven, who is now 23, had a life-changing accident in Australia when he was nine which left him with catastrophic brain injuries.

In July, Steven, along with mum Anita and brother Matthew, who is 16, will do the skydive to raise funds for brain injury association Headway, National Star, which supports people with disabilities, and the Chamwall Centre which is being built in the grounds of Milestone School in Gloucester.

Anita, of Viney Hill, said: “We are doing the skydive on July 26 to raise funds for the three charities that have made a difference to our lives and so many others.”

She said she had wanted to do a tandem skydive for many years and when she turned 50 last year she discussed it with Steven who, she says, “is a real daredevil”.

Matthew also wanted to get involved in the skydive but thought he had to be 18 to take part.

Anita said: “You actually have to be 16 to do the skydive but at the time Matthew wasn’t old enough.

“On his 16th birthday, I gave him an IOU, saying ‘I owe you one skydive’.”

They have already raised more than £1,200 of an £8,000 target and the next event is a ‘superheroes’ collection at Tesco in Lydney from 10am on Saturday, April 21.

The accident which changed the family’s lives forever happened on Saturday, March 5 2005, as Anita and Steven were riding their bikes for a picnic after a morning of cricket, his favourite sport.

“Before Steven had his accident, he was the fittest, most energetic and sporty kid I knew.”

It was not certain that Steven would survive the accident which caused bleeding on the front of his brain.

Anita said: “The past 13 years have been very difficult, emotional and heart-breaking to say the least.

“For some time now I have wanted to give something back to some of the people that have helped us along the way.”

For more information and to donate to the appeal, visit www.mydonate.bt.com and search for Anita Mortimer.