Still time to sign up for the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance's Ride of Thanks

Last year, the event raised more than £3,200 which was split equally between LNAA, Lincolnshire Emergency Blood Bikes Service and Nottinghamshire Blood Bikes.

This year’s ride is on Saturday, September 3, starting at 10.30am at Newark Showground and will travel through on a circular route before returning to the showground.

Roland Johns, event volunteer and joint-organiser, said: “For bikers of all ages, it’s a fantastic event seeing hundreds of colourful bikes travelling together through our local towns and villages.

“We all know that bikers and their families recognise the important role the LNAA plays for many different communities. The enhanced level of pre-hospital critical care delivered to patients at the scene, gives people with the most severe injuries and medical conditions the very best chance of survival when minutes matter.

“With the crews on call 24 hours of the day, 365 days of the year, the highly skilled doctors, paramedics and pilots are there to help people across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire involved in life-threatening incidents every single day.

“It costs about £4,000 each time they fly and every penny needed to make that mission possible is funded by donations. Together with rising costs, especially in the cost of fuel, the amount needed to keep this life-saving charity operational for this year is now set to top £8 million..”

For more information or to sign up, see ambucopter.org.uk/events/ride-of-thanks.

Erica Ley, LNAA senior helicopter emergency services paramedic, said: “We have helped so many bikers and with that, they often recognise the importance of our service.

“While we hope they never have to see the inside of our helicopter, we want to be there for them if they do need us.

“As a charity, we rely on the support from the public to do this, and the annual ‘Ride of Thanks’ is just one of the ways in which bikers can help to raise vital awareness and funds to keep our helicopter in the sky.”