Shropshire Star comment: Flying 999 crews are inspiration
It is quite right that the Air Ambulance finds itself in the spotlight as people celebrate its 50,000 missions during the past 27 years.
The organisation has saved lives, inspired other charities, brought out the best of the local community and far more besides.
It is a charity that receives no Government funding and relies on the goodwill of rank and file individuals. And their efforts in raising millions of pounds are the reason why it remains airborne.
The Midlands ambulance is able to reach 90 per cent of people within eight minutes – ensuring vital seconds are not lost when people come to harm. Across Shropshire, there are many people who owe it their lives. There are yet more whose lives would have been damaged had they not been the beneficiary of its services.
The statistics involved are utterly remarkable. The Midlands Air Ambulance charity is one of the busiest in the country, averaging 2,000 missions per year.
It operates three aircraft with each carrying a pilot, two paramedics or flight doctors plus full life-support medical equipment. That logistical muscle means it gets most casualties to hospital far more quickly than a land ambulance might, achieving admissions within the so-called Golden Hour – 60 minutes after their injury.
That dramatically increases patients’ chances of survival, making the Midlands Air Ambulance so vital in an emergency situation.
The costs involved are just as staggering. Each Midlands Air Ambulance mission costs £2,500, and in excess of £9 million is needed each year to keep its three air ambulances operational, which is donated entirely by the public and local businesses, with four in 10 of those funded by gifts in wills.
The charity is fortunate to count on tremendous public support and goodwill but never takes that for granted. Winning and keeping hearts and minds is an essential and constant challenge. That is why it regards the real ‘helicopter heroes’ as not only the aircrew but unsung ground heroes, its fundraisers.
Those fundraisers have created a community of their own, which is centred around the charity. From people who work in its shops to families who bequeath funds, from medical staff who man ambulances to those who organise events. All play a part for the top flight charity.
