A FATHER and son from Bournemouth will be making the extra day of this leap year count, by taking part in a charity skydive.

Stuart and Mark Broomfield have decided to take on the 10,000 drop, in order to raise awareness and funds for the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign’s Make Today Count campaign, which encourages people to fundraise on a day near to February 29.

Mark, 25, said: “I’m excited and I jumped at the chance when I found out that my dad had signed up to do it.

“My brother, John, 26, has Duchenne muscular dystrophy and I think this event is a great way to raise funds for research that might help him, and others like him, in the future.

“We’ve never done anything like this before but we are really looking forward to it.”

His girlfriend’s mother, Jill, and brother, Harry Foley, will also be taking part.

Mark’s dad, Stuart, 57, said: “To be honest, I am getting a bit nervous now as it’s less than a month away, but I’m determined to go through with it.

“We need to raise as much money as we can, to fund research that might help John and all the others.

“It would be great to think we could raise enough to save two more families every week from hearing the devastating news that their child has MD.”

The Muscular Dystrophy Campaign is appealing to the public to use the extra day to raise £30,000 for research into treatments and cures for muscular dystrophy and other neuromuscular conditions.

Muscular Dystrophy and other neuromuscular conditions cause muscles to weaken and waste over time, leading to disability and in the case of some types of the disease, it can significantly shorten life-expectancy.

To find out more about Make Today Count, go to: Muscular-dystrophy. org/maketodaycount For more information on Mark and Stuart’s challenge, go to: Justgiving.com/mark-broomfield