22 Oct 2013
Donations were not the only thing showered on us during National Air Ambulance Week celebrations at Trafalgar Square. We didn’t hide in our fundraising bus despite this week’s heavy down pours and have put on dance gigs, medical demonstrations on ‘dummies’ and live street art performances right in front of The National Gallery. And there is more to come.
When: 24th - 30th September, 11am - 6pm
London’s Air Ambulance is no newbie to emergency situations. For the last two decades, we have been bringing the emergency room from hospital right to the road side, working in the most challenging conditions. Celebrations of National Air Ambulance Week at Trafalgar Square have been no exception.
During the launch of week-long event on Monday 24th September, the rain started pouring down heavily on our volunteers, filling their collecting buckets with water, rather than donations. On the day, Trafalgar Square saw the contemporary dance group, The People Pile, performing for us despite the weather. Dancers in vintage aviation dresses gained our charity a lot of attention with their interpretation of ‘Beatle’s Flying’.
On Tuesday 25th September, passers-by at Trafalgar Square were amazed by unexpected ‘mock’ missions by our off-duty staff. Our doctors and paramedics demonstrated advanced medical procedures on dummies in front of the National Gallery. People could freely observe them perform an open chest surgery and ask questions about work of London’s Air Ambulance.
Wednesday started with a bomb scare at the Canadian Embassy (right beside Trafalgar Square) so the bus was cordoned off for a little while. However, everything got back on track once the police gave the all clear.
Thursday saw live street art from the Graffiti Kings, lunchtime Zumba and more scenarios from our doctors and paramedics.
Here is a link to all our photos so far http://www.flickr.com/photos/77686039@N08/sets/72157631626617807/with/8025907315/
Photography by Matthew Bell.
