Rotary members welcome air ambulance visit ahead of major fundraiser

Borderland Rotary has supported the Midlands Air Ambulance for many years with its annual Borderland Mountain Bike Challenge.

The event takes place this year on Saturday, May 11, starting at 10am, with places still available.

Ahead of the event Maria Jones and John Sharron from the charity visited the club to show members how to give emergency CPR and use defibrillators.

“It’s so nice to welcome Midlands Air Ambulance to help us be more self-sufficient in future”, said Andy Boroughs, Borderland President, “As our history with the service goes back so far with the mountain bike event having been staged for the last twenty years”.

Maria gave a talk after the training and said: “We are very grateful for the work that Borderland have done for us and it’s good to be able to come and give some basic first aid and Defib training that may, one day, help someone, before our helicopter arrives."

She went on to explain that the Air Ambulance service started in 1991 and has been serving the West Midlands and eastern Wales ever since – with each mission costing in the region of £3,000.

Maria added: “Not so long ago, a young man from Oswestry was gravely injured and things did not look very good but swift treatment and a flight to hospital helped him make a full recovery and we were thrilled when he came to visit us at Cosford and met the crew that treated him.

"Those moments mean a lot to all of us in the service."

For information about the fundraising challenge visit www.borderland-mtb-challenge.org