London’s Air Ambulance Charity has launched an appeal to raise £15 million by 2024 to fund a new fleet of helicopters.
Jonathan Jenkins, the CEO of the charity, appealed to Londoners to help the charity remain a “world-leading” provider of emergency service care as new polling showed over a third of people living in the capital don’t know it is funded by donations.
Air Ambulance medics perform life-saving treatment for patients who are critically injured, and their helicopters help to transport doctors to the scene as soon as possible. Last year, it assisted 1,714 patients – an average of 5 a day.
The Up Against Time appeal is seeking to raise money to fund two new H-135 T3H helicopters to bring into service in 2024, as the charity’s current fleet is in decline and increasingly difficult to maintain.
Mr Jenkins told the Standard that replacing the fleet was essential to continue to provide Londoners with life-saving treatment.
“When Sadiq Khan got into our current aircraft he said: ‘Blimey, you’ll need some new ones’. While the ones we have are perfectly safe, the new ones are more technologically advanced and will help us to remain as one of the leaders in the field.”
Mr Jenkins said he hoped the appeal would also help tackle common “misconceptions” around the charity’s source of funding.
“Many people think we just pick people up and transport them to hospital. While this is important, we are also delivering cutting edge care to patients when they need it.
“Our mission is to continue to get out there so more people realise we are a charity and that we are dependent on them.”
Claire, who did not give her surname for legal reasons, survived an attack from her ex-partner who stabbed her repeatedly in her home after she had fallen asleep. Her young daughter managed to call 999 using Siri on a mobile phone, prompting the Air Ambulance’s advanced trauma team to rush to the scene.
She was given an emergency anaesthetic and blood transfusion and transported to St Mary’s Hospital, where she spent three and a half weeks before beginning a miraculous recovery.
Claire told the Standard that medics from the team had “saved her life”.
“I’m so grateful to the Air Ambulance Charity, without them I wouldn’t have survived. The experience has inspired me to do good things with my life.”
One in four Londoners (26 per cent) have a friend or family member who have been personally affected by traumatic injury or known someone who has, according to the charity.
Mr Jenkins said he hoped that the appeal would help to instil a sense of pride in Londoners for its purpose and mission.
“I want that helicopter to be as iconic in people’s minds as part of London as black cabs and red telephone boxes,” he added.
Those wishing to donate can do so here.
