Air Ambulance Christmas Challenge Success

The highly skilled doctors, paramedics and pilots help people across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, involved in life-threatening incidents every single day.

From November 28 to December 5 the Lincolnshire & Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance (LNAA) invited supporters make a donation and support the charity’s vital lifesaving work, 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

Michelle Hill, Head of Individual Giving said: “The Big Give Christmas Challenge was a fantastic campaign where people could see their donations doubled.

"This year’s aim was to raise a total of £48,000.

"To access the £24,000 in the matching pot, £24,000 was needed in online donations.

"The support from the public has been fantastic, people got behind the campaign and the money was raised in just 6 days.”

The charity has given special thanks to sponsors Nottinghamshire Air Ambulance Countryside Appeal and The Hospital Saturday Fund, who together created the matching pot by donating £12,000 each.

Michelle added: “Without their generosity, and that of the public, this campaign would not have been so successful.”

LNAA responds to, on average, four missions a day, bringing the most advanced pre-hospital care to the side of patients when they need it most.

Whether at the beachside, on the roadside or in the countryside, the team of critical care paramedic and doctor responds to emergencies of the most serious kind, providing medical interventions that can mean the difference between life and death.

The funding received from the Big Give Christmas Challenge will help enable the iconic helicopter to keep flying and the critical care cars operational 24/7 during the busy winter months.

The charity needs £8million a year to keep the service operational.

The incidents crews attend most are cardiac arrests and road traffic collisions as well as equestrian and farming accidents and accidents involving walkers and cyclists.

It is the early intervention by a doctor and paramedic crew, along with the speed of the helicopter when dispatched, that makes the difference.

The doctors can administer drugs, give blood transfusions and carry out surgical procedures that can’t be done by paramedics alone.