Hertfordshire teenager to take on fundraising skydive for sexual abuse survivors
She has already raised over £1000 for a Buckinghamshire charity, exceeding her initial target
A Hertfordshire teenager is taking on a skydive to raise funds to support survivors of sexual abuse.
Nineteen-year-old Ashley Vaughan will be jumping from a plane this month, after successfully organising a separate event last month to raise money for South Buckinghamshire's Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Services (RSASS).
Speaking to Greatest Hits Radio, she said: "These vital services support people through the darkest times — whether they report to the police or not. They offer safety, counselling, and a voice when it feels like you have none."
The cause is personal to Ashley, who is a survivor of sexual abuse.
When she was just a child, a family friend, who had been invited into the family home for a gathering, abused her in her bedroom.
While Ashley managed to get away, she, at the time, didn't feel she could speak to her family about what had happened. Every time her abuser stepped foot in the house after that, she would run away.
The criminal act was brought to life after her family found a suicide letter she had written, detailing the events and a subsequent deterioration in her mental wellbeing.
It was then reported to police, who entered legal proceedings, arresting the suspect.
In February 2024, she finished a court case in which her abuser was found guilty.
Ashley admitted that going through the court process was extremely difficult. "I didn’t navigate it very well, to be honest, and I didn’t start navigating it well until I heard that he was guilty. Then I thought it was worth it," she said.
"...I feel like I’m becoming the person that younger me needed."
Ashley has since spoken openly about the challenges she faced growing up, living in an unstable home with her mother, before being taken into her father's custody, later becoming the victim of a sexual crime.
She explained how the support of her father and other family members helped her through. "Even with the fundraiser, I think if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be able to do anything. And every day he’s done a lot for me," she said.
Ashley has decided to use her experience to help others, becoming an ambassador for RSASS, a role she describes with pride: "I’ve done it because I know people around me have gone through it and I’ve done it for all of us to kind of come together and say no, we’re fed up of people just feeling like we’re property for you to use.
"And then to do all of this and see the outcome of the fundraiser, but then also to be walking away from it as an ambassador for a charity that does so much for so many people, it’s incredible. And I feel like I’m becoming the person that younger me needed."
Alongside her charity efforts, Ashley manages her father’s pub, is studying forensic psychology with the Open University, and plans to travel to Australia later this year.
She said her goal now is to make a difference for others: "If you can donate — no matter how small — you’ll be helping someone feel seen, believed, and supported when they need it most. Your kindness can truly change lives."
You can find her fundraiser here.