Milestone funding mark reached to help lifesaving charity
Long-standing grant funding which is helping a lifesaving service has hit a milestone mark.
Funding from the HELP Appeal now totals £3.5 million since 2014, helping to ensure Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s pre-hospital rapid response service remains at the forefront of clinical and operational excellence.
Currently celebrating 30 years of advanced lifesaving care, the charity is entirely reliant on donations from the public, businesses and grant giving organisations.
Support from the county air ambulance HELP Appeal is part of an ongoing grant funding programme that enables the provision of helipads and related assets, supporting the UK’s air ambulance sector, including Midlands Air Ambulance Charity.
Most recently, HELP Appeal chairman, Michael Henriques and chief executive, Robert Bertram visited the construction site of Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s new airbase and charity headquarters in Cosford.
The HELP Appeal is funding the two helipads and hangar space to support the charity’s plans to future-proof its essential service.
Since 1993, the appeal has been supporting Midlands Air Ambulance Charity with funding grants, facilitating a number of vitally important large-scale projects.
It has assisted with a number of strategic projects, including the redevelopment and refurbishment of the charity’s three air ambulance airbases and hangar spaces at RAF Cosford, Tatenhill airfield and Strensham.
The HELP Appeal also continues to support the charity on an annual basis with funding for state-of-the-art medical equipment.
It has also helped to fund three critical care cars, crewed by specialist medical teams, providing necessary rapid response support to local ambulance services.
Hanna Sebright, chief executive for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, said: “We are extremely proud of our long-standing partnership with the HELP Appeal.
"The grants have provided invaluable contributions to our pre-hospital emergency service over the years, benefitting thousands of people in urgent need of our expert medical attention.
"The latest grant will support the development of our new airbase and charity headquarters, helping with the provision of future critically-important lifesaving missions.”
Robert Bertram, chief executive for the HELP Appeal, added: “The HELP Appeal has been committed to achieving the highest standards of trauma care across the Midlands for almost 30 years.
"Our donations have enhanced Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s operations – from helipads to critical care cars to aircrew and aircraft equipment – helping to ensure that every critically ill patient in the region is given the best possible chance of survival when faced with a life-threatening illness or injury.
“But our work is not done.
"We will continue to support Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, and as a national charity and the only one funding hospital helipads across the Midlands region and the entire country, we will help to ensure patients are transferred to emergency departments as quickly as possible, because saving time, saves lives.”
To find out more visit midlandsairambulance.com and helpappeal.org.uk
