A London’s Air Ambulance supporter visited our helipad last week in celebration of winning our lottery, which raises vital funds each year.
Jo-Anne Humphries, from Worcester Park in Sutton, scooped the top prize of £1,000 in the weekly draw. This is the second time that Jo-Anne has won the top prize and she is the first person ever to win our lottery more than once.
We have now acquired a second emergency medical helicopter thanks to generous contributions from the people and organisations of London. The used MD902 Explorer, which is now registered as G-LNDN, is targeted to be operational in early 2016.
As part of ‘The Big Lift’ this week, 17 Waitrose stores across London are hosting collections to support our final push for our ‘Your London, Your Helicopter’ campaign for a second helicopter.
Staff from each of the branches all over London, including Canary Wharf, Oxford Street and High Street Kensington, will be welcoming donations from members of the public every day, 7am-7pm, until Friday 25th September.
We made a final plea to the people of London to donate during ‘The Big Lift’, our final fundraising push for the ‘Your London, Your Helicopter’ campaign to support a second helicopter for five years. To launch the week’s activities, paramedic Sam Margetts, joined by her team from CrossFit 1971, raced against the clock to lift the ‘equivalent weight’ of the MD902 Explorer helicopter, on the helipad.
Staff from life and pensions provider Phoenix Group embarked on their own extreme fundraiser in aid of us and Midlands Air Ambulance Charity at the weekend. Four members of staff ran 140 miles between the Group’s London and Wythall based sites, along the Grand Union Canal. In addition two members of staff cycled the distance, providing essential support to the team throughout the challenge.
Two London based businessmen cycled over 1800 miles in 12 days last month along the west coast of Ireland, raising money for our ‘Your London, Your Helicopter’ campaign for a second emergency medical helicopter. Gerry Boots and friend Brendan Barrett started their ‘Wild Atlantic Way Charity Cycle Challenge’ on 10 August in Kinsale, Co Cork and finished on 21 August in Derry.
On 11th October specialist personal injury law firm Leigh Day will be hosting the Leigh Day Cyclefest in support of London’s Air Ambulance.
Over 300 riders are expected to tackle one of two routes which take in some of the finest scenery in the South East. Open to adults and teenagers, the event will include a Challenger 54 mile route and a Relaxed 30 mile route, with registration starting from just £30.
The event will include:
On Friday 28 from 12.00-16.00, PC Sebastian Ellis of Kingston Police and Presenter of BT Sport and British Eurosport Tom Gaymor, will be guest hosting our #YourHelicopterLive Tweetathon on the @MPSKingston account.
In 2014, we treated 19 critically injured people in the Kingston area. When we are not tweeting dispatch updates, Tom Gaymor and PC Ellis will interview members of the crew, and find out more about how we work alongside the Metropolitan Police, with a particular focus on the Borough of Kingston.
It is with great sadness that Andrew Cameron has passed away. Andrew was one of the original founders of London’s Air Ambulance back in 1989, when he was Managing Director of Express Newspapers. Alongside the Chairman, Lord Stevens, Andrew helped drive the initial funding from Express Newspapers for our first helicopter, four pilots, operational staff and running cost for four years (£4 million at the time). Andrew became Trustee of the charity and later, he became the charity’s Chief Executive in 2009, holding this post until 2011.
We are calling on Londoners to join ‘The Big Lift’, our final fundraising push for the ‘Your London, Your Helicopter’ campaign to support and sustain a second helicopter.
Anyone can help by volunteering for collections or hosting an event during National Air Ambulance Week 21-27 September 2015, when communities across the UK rally behind their local air ambulances.
