National Accident Helpline is proud to support The Air Ambulance Service as its company charity.
The Air Ambulance Service (TAAS) operates vital services which exist to save lives and improve patient outcomes. It does so by delivering expert care as quickly as possible to those who need it most.
Over £10,000 raised to date
National Accident Helpline's employees have a great track record in raising money for charity and in 2014, for the first time, we decided to focus our efforts on raising money for a single named charity.
We were keen to work with a charity which mirrors our own values as a trusted, ethical provider of personal injury advice, services and support.
When a shortlist of three charities was put to employee vote, The Air Ambulance Service was the clear winner with 71% of votes cast, demonstrating just how passionately National Accident Helpline's staff feel about supporting this lifesaving service.
During the first year of the partnership employees took part in a range of creative, fun and challenging activities from dragon boat racing, endurance events and cycling challenges to cake baking competitions and quiz nights.
Every employee has supported The Air Ambulance Service in one way or another since the partnership was launched, with over two thirds of staff taking part in a fundraising event or challenge themselves.
In autumn 2014 two teams of employees went head-to-head (as well as against other companies in the region) in The Big £50 Business Challenge.
The competing teams, each sponsored by an Executive Director, started with just £50 cash and used their commercial, entrepreneurial and innovation skills to multiply their cash in aid of The Air Ambulance Service. Our teams raised £1,500 and won the Enterprise, Special Recognition and Entrepreneur of the Year awards.
Our support for The Air Ambulance Service continues into 2015 with a raft of fun and challenging activities planned.
About the Partnership
National Accident Helpline Managing Director Russell Atkinson (pictured above, left) says:
“The Air Ambulance Service provides a vital service without any government support, both in our region through the two local helicopter emergency services and nationally through the Children's Air Ambulance. Given our shared values - both organisations exist to help people who would struggle without our input - this is a natural partnership, and National Accident Helpline is delighted to support the lifesaving efforts provided by the Air Ambulance team."
“Our teams have always been active fundraisers, but by directing our efforts and getting wholeheartedly behind one cause we have raised more money than ever before - over £10,000 in 2014 alone.”
The Air Ambulance Service's Chief Executive Andy Williamson says:
“We rely on our relationships with our supporters, our ambassadors, our volunteers, the general public and businesses such as National Accident Helpline to keep our helicopters flying and saving critical time for our patients. Our corporate relationships help to raise awareness about our lifesaving work, and vital funds to keep us flying wherever and whenever people need us.
“The funds raised by National Accident Helpline staff, customers and suppliers are an invaluable support to the continuation of our lifesaving work.”
About the Children's Air Ambulance (TCAA)
Specialist paediatric care is not available in every hospital in England: 95% of care for critically ill babies and children is delivered by expert teams in 11 dedicated paediatric units located across the country. This means that around 5,800 babies and children who require emergency transfer every year must undergo long road journeys to reach the specialist treatment required to save their lives. But sometimes, a child's condition is so serious that they cannot be moved safely by land to receive the treatment they so urgently need.
The Children's Air Ambulance reduces risk by keeping its patients' time out of hospital to a minimum. A combination of specially developed equipment, expert teams and the helicopter's speed means that they give the smallest, most vulnerable lives the greatest chance of survival and recovery.
If a baby is too poorly to travel, the specialist care team can be flown to them instead. This gives the most vulnerable babies a chance to fight for their lives, and the time saved by flying the experts to the baby by helicopter means their expertise is available to treat even more young patients.
The Children's Air Ambulance believes that all babies and children should have rapid access to specialist treatment, 365 days a year, no matter where they live. Their helicopter transfers are around four times faster than the same journey by land ambulance. This significantly reduces risks for their young patients and the associated stress on their families at this anxious time.
The Children's Air Ambulance receives no Government funding, and relies entirely on donations from the general public and socially aware businesses.
The Children's Air Ambulance reduces risk by keeping its patients' time out of hospital to a minimum. A combination of specially developed equipment, expert teams and the helicopter's speed means that they give the smallest, most vulnerable lives the greatest chance of survival and recovery.
About Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA) and Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance (DLRAA)
Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA) and Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance (DLRAA) attend local incidents to treat patients at the scene and transfer them to the best hospital for their injuries. They attend a variety of emergency rescues, including road traffic collisions, serious sporting injuries, severe burns, industrial accidents, and any medical incidents requiring a rapid emergency response.
Their state-of-the-art Agusta helicopters are among the fastest civilian helicopters available, and can reach speeds of up to 200 mph. This means that the air ambulance teams can be at the scene of an emergency in less than 10 minutes, saving crucial time. The helicopter service also enables medical staff to reach accidents that are inaccessible to a land ambulance.
Over 90% of rescue missions carry a doctor on board, ensuring that they deliver advanced medical intervention and administer higher levels of medication.
Each rescue mission costs an average of £1,700, so with no Government funding the charity's fundraisers are kept busy year round raising the money that will allow the service to continue saving lives every day.
Follow Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance and Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Rutland Air Ambulance on Twitter @WNDLRAirAmb
Follow the Children's Air Ambulance Service on Twitter @ChildrensAirAmb
To make a donation to The Air Ambulance Service, please call 08454 130999 or visit our Just Giving page.
- Warwickshire & Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA) and Derbyshire, Leicestershire & Scotland Air Ambulance (DLRAA) are Helicopter Emergency Services (HEMS) which attend local incidents to treat patients at the scene and transfer them to the best hospital for their injuries.
- The Children's Air Ambulance (TCAA) transfers seriously ill babies and children from their current hospital to dedicated paediatric units throughout the UK where they will receive the specialist treatment required to save their lives.