WALES AIR AMBULANCE CELEBRATES AIR AMBULANCE WEEK 2021 WITH SUPPORT FROM JAMES HOOK

Air Ambulance Week 2021, is taking off across the UK 6th-12th September, raising awareness of the lifesaving work of air ambulance charities across the UK, and here in Wales the Wales Air Ambulance is celebrating with support from former Wales rugby player James Hook. 

During the national awareness week, organised by Air Ambulances UK, Wales Air Ambulance will also be joining other air ambulance charities around the country in a campaign called Every Second Counts and Every Penny Matters.  

The campaign highlights how air ambulance charities such as Wales Air Ambulance rapidly deliver advanced lifesaving pre-hospital care directly to the side of patients with sudden a life-threatening injury or medical emergency; essentially bringing the A&E department to the patient when every second counts towards survival. 

Wales Air Ambulance makes around 3,500 of lifesaving missions a year across Wales, forming an important part of the emergency services across Wales and supporting the NHS. Since its inception in 2001 the charity has attended over 40,000 missions and is almost entirely funded by public donations, meaning every penny matters. 

Wales Air Ambulance is calling on people all over Wales to support the Charity during Air Ambulance Week to ensure it can continue to save the lives of people like Steven Landrey, 51, who collapsed while out cycling with friends last year. Steven suffered a cardiac arrest and stopped breathing.

Thankfully the Wales Air Ambulance was able to respond swiftly to the scene and gave Steven the lifesaving care he needed.

Steven from Pembrokeshire said: “Like every other patient, I was in a frightening and vulnerable situation and without the fast response and quality care offered by the Wales Air Ambulance critical care team and others on the scene I may not be here today.”

The charity’s ambassador James Hook is lending his support, he said: “I’m proud to be an ambassador for the Wales Air Ambulance. It’s a cause that’s close to my heart as they attended my eldest son just over 10 years ago when he became very ill. I think it’s an amazing Charity and you don’t know how important it is until you need it.”  

Dr Sue Barnes, Chief Executive of Wales Air Ambulance, said: “As well as being an opportunity to let people know about our lifesaving work, Air Ambulance Week is also an opportunity to say thank you. Thank you to those employed by the service, to our wonderful volunteers and incredible generous supporters. Each and every one of them makes a valuable contribution to our lifesaving aim. Quite simply, our charity would not exist without them.”  

There are several ways that the public can continue to support the Wales Air Ambulance. These include online donations, signing up to the Charity’s Lifesaving Lottery or by coming up with their own innovative ways to fundraise at home. Further information can be found via www.walesairambulance.com.  

Alternatively, a £5 text-message donation can be made by texting the word HELI to 70711. 

To celebrate Air Ambulance Week, Air Ambulances UK, Rotary in Great Britain and Ireland and Raffolux, the online raffle company, have partnered to launch the ‘Every Second Counts’ prize draw, where people can enter to win an Audi Q3 and support their local air ambulance charity. For more details and to play please visit www.everysecondcountsraffle.co.uk. 

For more information about Air Ambulance Week go to www.airambulancesuk.org/airambulanceweek