There are eighteen air ambulances operating nationally, all of them charities.The purpose of the National Air Ambulance Week each year is to promote these charities and raise awareness.
Here in Wiltshire there are many people using innovative ways to raise money for this eminently good cause, doing things as diverse as baking cakes to running marathons. The Air Ambulance staff themselves held a ‘Wig Wednesday’ striking some interesting poses in the photograph on the left. Eighteen trekkers crossed Morocco to ascend the highest mountain as well as others taking part in a sponsored skydive.
Wiltshire’s Air Ambulance is unique; it’s the only Air Ambulance charity in the country that shares its aircraft with the police. At the moment the charity pays a third of the running costs, however the government has decided to centralise all police aircraft which means here in Wiltshire the charity will now have to fund the full running costs of the aircraft. In order to ensure Wiltshire keeps its vital and much loved lifesaving Air Ambulance, the charity must raise £6800 a day (£2.5 million a year) as at the end of 2014 the contract with the police will come to an end. The charity are hopeful the collaboration will continue, however they are now upping their fundraising to make sure Wiltshire does not lose the Air Ambulance.
The Air Ambulance Lottery raises a sizeable contribution helping to keep the charity on track to achieve the above figure.
The Head Office of Wiltshire Air Ambulance is now at Carlton Business Centre who raised £200 for Wiltshire Air Ambulance in National Air Ambulance Week.
