Air ambulance charity says it needs £6m more a year

An air ambulance charity has raised its fundraising target by £6m a year to be able to expand its life-saving services after a record year for call-outs.

North West Air Ambulance has set an £18m donation goal for the end of March 2025, a 50% rise on the previous figure.

The extra money will pay for night-time operations seven days a week, an increase in capacity for blood transfusions and helicopter upgrades.

Dave Briggs, operations director, said the new target would be "extremely difficult" to achieve but was "vitally important" for the charity's future.

Extra staffing, more training and research, along with rising fuel costs had also contributed to the new financial target.

Mr Briggs said meeting the goal was "essential to deliver our exceptional life-saving service".

"Without that, people wouldn’t get the treatment they need and the very best opportunity for a second chance.”

Air ambulance crews carried out more than 3,000 missions across the region in 2023, their busiest year to date.

The charity, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2024, receives no regular government or NHS funding.

Among the improvements planned in the expansion are increasing an evening car service from two nights a week to seven, so paramedics can carry out emergency missions when its three helicopters are unable to fly.

The charity is also increasing its ability to carry out blood transfusions on patients at the scene of emergencies.

“Currently, we only give blood from one of our aircraft and we're going to expand so that every helicopter and every car will be able to deliver blood in the imminent future," said Mr Briggs.

The rising cost of fuel has also put financial pressure on the charity.

“Over the last 12 months we’ve spent nearly £300,000 on fuel alone for our two helicopters based in Manchester," Mr Briggs added.

Emergency consultant Dr Tim Smith, who is part of the air ambulance team, said it was important for the public to realise the organisation was "completely reliant" on donations.

“It’s no exaggeration to say that it’s people giving to the charity that enables us to do the work and ultimately change people’s life in a positive way.”

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