5 Mar 2015
UPDATE: Our 'Your London, Your Helicopter' campaign in 2015 successfully raised the funds required to purchase our charity's second helicopter, G-LNDN. Thank you to everyone who contributed to and supported the campaign.
We are thrilled to announce a £2 million donation has been pledged from the London Freemasons towards our second emergency medical helicopter. We recently launched the ‘Your London, Your Helicopter’ campaign to raise £4.4 million to acquire and sustain a second helicopter and extend daylight flying hours for five years. The £2 million donation which will come from some 1,350 lodges in London now leaves £2.35 million left to raise (£50,000 has already been raised from the public).
Commenting on the £2 million pledge, London’s Air Ambulance CEO, Graham Hodgkin, said: “We are blown away by the generosity of the London Freemasons. The £2 million brings us significantly closer to realising our goal of having a second emergency medical helicopter up and running as soon as practicably possible. Nationally, the Grand Charity of the United Grand Lodge of England has been donating to the air ambulance community for some years. Thank you to all those across the London lodges who will be working tirelessly to raise this additional £2 million target.
Graham added: “We have now crossed the half way mark for the ‘Your London, Your Helicopter’ campaign, thank you to all those who have helped us get there. We still have a way to go but I am confident, that with over 10 million people who are passionate about London being the greatest city, we can cross the finish line."
London Freemasons has launched an appeal to its 40,000 members across 1,350 lodges in London to fundraise towards the £2 million target. The London Freemasons kicked off the partnership with a cheque presentation of £250,000 yesterday and will continue to hold fundraising events and dinners and collect individual lodge donations until the £2 million target is raised.
Tony Shields, London Freemasons Metropolitan Grand Charity Steward, added:“London's Air Ambulance delivers an incredible service 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and we are proud to be raising funds to help this superb charity acquire and sustain a vital second helicopter.”
