Irene Lewington has brushed off celebrating her milestone 90th birthday with a nice meal out with her friends and family - in favour of jumping out of a plane.

The great great-grandmother who was born in Hackney is pulling off the stunt to raise money for St Joseph’s Hospice.

Irene, who is also a keen drag racer and go-karter isn’t nervous about her upcoming sky dive on May 21: “I think it will be a huge adrenaline rush and as long as the person I’m attached to is experienced I should be OK,” she said. “I’m just pleased to be able to do something like this at my age. When you see other people who are getting on for a hundred doing this kind of thing, I feel like a youngster.”

She came up with the idea having had some of her “very dear friends” looked after by the hospice in Mare Street.

“I remember they were treated like princes and princesses and, as you never know when you’ll need their care, I want to raise money for them,” she said.

See justgiving.com/fundraising/irene-lewington1 to donate.