Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it's teenager Ellen Barton dressed as Superwoman taking part in a charity skydive yesterday afternoon.

The 17-year-old, who lives in South Wootton, near King's Lynn, jumped out of a plane over Sibson Airfield, in Peterborough, at 12.30pm.

The former pupil of Lynn's King Edward VII School hopes her tandem skydive will raise more than �3,000 for King's Lynn-based charity, The Bridge for Heroes, which offers support to veterans and serving troops.

Speaking to the EDP following her jump, she said: 'It was amazing – one of the best things I have ever done.

'At first I wasn't nervous at all, however, when the plane got to 13,000ft and I was hanging out of the plane waiting for the guy I was jumping with to get ready, I remember thinking 'I don't want to do this anymore'

'But then we were gone and as we were free falling, the guy was spinning as around in circles so we went really fast and I loved it.'

The South Wootton resident found out about the charity and its goals because she works at the Eden Hair Design salon, which is directly below the charity's first town centre contact centre in Lynn.

The teenager continued: 'I feel very happy that I have done this for charity and especially for The Bridge for Heroes because I think the work they do is fantastic.

'I hope they can use the money I manage to raise to carry on doing their great work in helping veterans and serving troops.'

The Bridge for Heroes was set up last year to offer emotional support for those at risk of suffering from post-traumatic stress.

Formed by Mike Taylor, who served in the Gulf, Northern Ireland and Bosnia, the charity opened its first dedicated town centre facility for serving troops, veterans and their families in King's Lynn earlier this year.

So far hundreds of people have visited the centre in South Clough Lane, near St James' car park, and now the charity is actively looking to open centres in Hunstanton and Cromer soon.

The charity also wants to open hotels in the two coastal towns to give serving and former troops and their families a free holiday by 2014.

As well as a place to seek support, the Lynn centre also operates as a charity shop and boasts a small museum of British military history.

The charity has links with several other veterans' groups, including the Soldiers, Sailors, Airman and Families Association (SSAFA) and Combat Stress, who specialise in caring for veterans battling with psychological problems as a result of their time in the armed forces.

The slogan of the charity, which was set up last year, reads simply: 'Wounds are not always visible.'

The Lynn centre is open from 10am until 3pm from Monday to Saturday. For more information about the charity, visit www.thebridgeforheroes.org