News

Gabi gains £8,500 for Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust

A student from North Cornwall has raised £8,500 of vital funds for Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust through a special project.

 Gabi Campbell from Bude approached the charity when she was looking for a voluntary placement as part of her BSc (Hons) degree in Rural Business Management at Duchy College.

 Gabi was inspired to work with Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust after being airlifted by helicopter following a care accident almost five years ago. Her project involved researching and contacting over 70 grant-making trusts, building relationships with trustees and completing application forms.

So far £8,500 has already been awarded to the charity, with over 50 grant-making trusts currently considering applications.

 The success of the project has gained Gabi a first for this module of her degree. The money will go towards Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust’s medical equipment fund.

Chief executive for CAAT Paula Martin said  “Gabi is the first degree student to approach the charity offering to help us with a major fundraising project as part of her study programme. “She set about the task with great determination and diligence, and we hope that when the final total rolls in, she will feel very proud of what she achieved.”

 Gabi said: “This was a new approach to fundraising for the charity so there was a steep learning curve. But I love being involved with charities and I think Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust do an amazing job. “I don’t think Cornwall could cope without it – it’s vital to the whole community and you never know when you’re going to need it.” 

Dr Jurie Intachat, Gabi’s course manager from Duchy College said: “We are very proud of Gabi’s achievement for such a good cause.  We are also really pleased that our aims for this course have resulted in such a worthwhile outcome for her placement provider as well as Gabi’s marks!”

                                         --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust awarded £1 million for new helicopter home

Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust has been awarded almost £1 million of ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) Convergence investment to build a new base for the charity and its helicopter at Newquay Cornwall Airport.

The investment amounts to £949,760 from ERDF Convergence with further costs for the capital project to be matched by reserved charitable funds and additional fundraising.

The development includes a 492 square metre hangar for the Cornwall Air Ambulance helicopter and 335 square metres of high quality office space, providing accommodation for both operating crews and the fundraising team.

Carleen Kelemen, Director of the Convergence Partnership Office for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said, “This ERDF Convergence investment is a great example of the growing critical mass of specialist air related businesses – both fixed wing and rotary – at Newquay Cornwall Airport. It is becoming increasingly clear that the economic impact of the airport reaches well beyond its role as a transport hub.”

Chief executive of CAAT Paula Martin said: “Strategically, this charity is growing quickly, mainly because we need to meet the costs of operating a busy air ambulance helicopter.

“Part of our forward planning is to secure an operations facility, a proper “home for the helicopter” and ensure we can manage most of the key costs in the future.

“We are very pleased indeed to have secured this significant investment to help pay for something which is truly for the people of Cornwall in the future. We are also very conscious that we utilise charitable funds prudently in providing all aspects of Cornwall’s air ambulance service.”

Cornwall Council awarded planning permission for the new home for the helicopter in November last year.

The building will be situated on the south side of the main runway at Newquay Cornwall Airport and it is hoped work will be completed later this year, with plans for the air ambulance to be operating from the new hangar before Christmas.

With the charity’s headquarters and office staff currently based at Roche just off the A30, the new accommodation will bring the charity and operations team together on the map for the first time.

Offices will be constructed to ensure low running costs in the future, built to BREEAM Excellent standards.

John Burton, Communities Infrastructure Manager at the South West Regional Development Agency, said the new base would set a standard for future development outlined in the Newquay Cornwall Airport masterplan.

He said: “This new flexible workspace, with iconic design and strong environmental performance built in, is adding to the burgeoning air based industry that is being built up at Newquay Cornwall Airport. This is part of the ERDF Convergence programme’s suite of investments in workspace for a modern economy.”

Miles Carden, Newquay Cornwall Airport Infrastructure and Business Development Programme Manager for Cornwall Development Company said: “Newquay Cornwall Airport wants to develop a major aviation related business cluster, offering the opportunity for delivering significant numbers of quality, high value and highly skilled jobs. 

“Attracting organisations like CAAT is vital for the realisation of this ambition and this investment is therefore a critical initial step for the airport.  The CAAT are leaders in civilian aviation paramedic work and we hope that their presence will be a catalyst to further growth in this sector.”

Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust appointed independent Wagg Consultants Limited to lead the project definition phase and the funding bid application.

Steve Murdoch, director of Wagg Consultants, said: “As Project Manager for the new operations facility we have been heavily involved in developing the Business Case and Funding Application. We are delighted with the decision to approve the grant funding and are looking forward to the next phase of this exciting project.”

Newquay Cornwall Airport’s Managing Director Al Titterington said: ‘The new facility is another exciting development here at Newquay Cornwall Airport and will further strengthen the relationship between the Air Ambulance Trust and the Airport.’

                                          --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New lead paramedic takes up top flight role for Cornwall Air Ambulance

A dedicated paramedic with Cornwall Air Ambulance has reached the pinnacle of his career by being appointed lead aircrew.

Steve Garvey, who has worked on the aircraft for two years as a paramedic delivering pre-hospital care, was appointed to the role earlier this month.

All of the coveted places within the aircrew team are important, but Mr Garvey will also take responsibility for leading the crew, as well as be the key point of contact for the South Western Ambulance Service Trust and Bond Air Services to help ensure the smooth running of the operations.

Steve Garvey, who is currently studying for a BSc (Hons) in Emergency Care said: “This is probably the finest moment in my career with the ambulance service.

“I work on the best aircraft in the country, and now my new role involves stepping into the management team to help ensure we continue our commitment to delivering the very best pre-hospital care to our patients.”

Paula Martin, chief executive for Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust said “Steve is very motivated and keen to work with the charity to continually improve the service capability of the air ambulance and the skills of it’s crew.

“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate him on this well-deserved appointment to lead paramedic”.

Neil Lentern, the outgoing lead paramedic on the Cornwall Air Ambulance has recently been successful in applying to become a clinical tutor for the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust and in future will only fly on the aircraft occasionally.

Steve Small, the (SWAST) Operations Locality Manager for West Cornwall, said: “I would like to thank Neil for his commitment to both the aircraft and charity for the past two years. The air ambulance has been in a very safe pair of hands, but now quite rightly, Neil can look forward to the next stage of his own career development and we wish him every success”.

Cornwall Air Ambulance enjoys excellent support from the South Western Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust. 

A spokesperson for the new ambulance foundation trust in the South West said: “We remain committed to provide a fully seconded aircrew to staff the Cornwall air ambulance with some of the most skilled paramedics in Cornwall”.

The helicopter currently flies 12 hours each day, with two paramedics and one pilot on duty. The helicopter itself, and every mission it flies, it funded almost entirely through public donations and community fundraising.

                                          -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust launches urgent appeal for text message donations

The Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust has launched a new way to donate – by text message – as the charity’s emergency helicopter faces its busiest period of the year.

The charity has issued an urgent appeal for donations, having recorded a 10% increase in the demand for its services so far this year.

Supporters can now help keep the helicopter flying by texting the word MISSION to 70007. Texts cost £3 plus standard network charge, with at least £2.81 from each message going directly to Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust depending on the network provider.

Chief executive of the trust Paula Martin said: “Summer is our busiest time of year, during which it’s not unusual for the helicopter and crew to be tasked with five missions back-to-back each day.

“This is means it’s more crucial than ever that people support the air ambulance.

“We believe introducing text donations is a really accessible way to make a positive impact and help save the life of a holiday maker or Cornish resident this year.”

It costs more than £1.5 million each year to run Cornwall Air Ambulance through fuel costs, crew, energy and maintaining equipment.

The service is crucial in reducing time of travel from the scene of an accident to hospital – often these critical minutes saved make the difference between life and death.

From its base at Newquay Cornwall Airport, the helicopter can reach any part of the county within 20 minutes and the Isles of Scilly within 28 minutes. On average, the air ambulance arrives on scene within 12 minutes of a 999 call.

To find out about other ways to donate to the Cornwall Air Ambulance Trust, such as online donations, legacies, challenge events and regular donations by standing order, go to www.cornwallairambulancetrust.org

You can now make donations online

There are plenty of other ways to help.
Read here about other ways to help your Cornwall
Air Ambulance, help them today, you may need them tomorrow.