Get involved.
The HighSide Community Project has ambitious community focussed goals. For pilots, it's all part of the idea of coming together and forming a community or "Parammunity" to leverage our collective strengths/skills in order to do some good in the world. One of the first steps towards this goal is to form a group of volunteers in order to tackle the objectives below. If you think you would like to be part of this movement why not get involved, we would love to hear from you.
Not for Profit & Charity Status
One of the main objectives is to register the HighSide as a Not For Profit and seek charity status. This is so that we can attract funding to deliver on the HighSide's disability flights and mental Health objectives. The aim being to use Flight Therapy as a tool in the fight against depression to give joy and accessibility to those in greatest need. For many of us Paragliding has been more that just a hobby, it's been a lifeline. A reason to get out of bed in the morning or go to work. If you want to be able to 'pay it forward' to another, charitable flight therapy might be just the ticket.
Volunteer Tandem Pilots
In order to deliver the actual disability & flight therapy tandems there will be a need for volunteer tandem rated pilots. You'll need to be a charitable soul with a love of humanity and a desire to pay it forward. If this sounds like you please let me know.
Land Rehabilitation
The previous owner on the HighSide land was a farmer who left his stock on the sandy coastal soil for extended periods. This combined with dry weather and sandy soil caused the grass to die and expose the sand underneath. This has led to sand erosion or a"blowout" which aerial footage over time has shown to be ever expanding. Currently we have perfected a method of using rows of hay bales and specific plant species which has enabled us to turn the tide. We are currently protecting the takeoff and working inland slowly. To continue this work and given the huge scale we need the help of volunteers. The ultimate objective being to first stop the sand expansion then replant the land to create a coastal forest with walking tracks for community use.
Flightpark Maintenance & Development
At the Flight Park there's always something to do. Whether it be manning a weed wacker, working on the steps, fencing, fund raising, marketing or one of a hundred other bits and pieces. If you've got some skills and energy to contribute to the project, we want to hear from you.