The freed breed

Taking a break doesn't always mean escaping to exotic places. Staying at home can take as much courage and bring as many rewards. Sharon Simonian swapped a career in neuro-scientific research to pursue her skydiving passion. Her days in the lab have been replaced by falling out of planes with a video camera to capture people’s first skydiving experiences on film. 'I first did a dive for charity a few years ago and got totally hooked. I was spending a lot of my spare time on it so decided to take a break from my regular career and do this for a while. I don't know yet if it's going to just be a gap or a complete change of direction,' she says.

Beth Partridge wasn't discontented with her life or her work as project manager for a promotional handling agency with several blue chip clients. But she wanted to do something more worthwhile. ‘I loved my job but wanted to put my energy into work that was more meaningful.’ Beth became involved with ATD Fourth World and it has meant a lot of personal adjustment. At 28, after seven years of working, having a good salary and her own flat, she's now an unpaid volunteer living communally in ATD's London house. She will soon join one of their overseas projects. ATD operate in 27 countries, working with people who live in extreme poverty. Volunteers help their clients learn new skills, regain confidence, maintain their dignity and self-respect. The scheme’s founder is well remembered for replacing soup kitchens with libraries in one of the poorest areas of Paris.

'It's been a huge change and I'm glad I made it,’ says Beth. ‘Whether I'll ever go back to the type of work I did before I don't know, but things like that don't worry me now, I'm going to wait and see how things work out.'