Image credit East Anglian Air Ambulance.
On Sunday 8 September hundreds of hardy walkers will take on either a 24 mile or 24 kilometre coastal walk along the North Norfolk Coast in aid of the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA), with both routes finishing at Holkham Hall.
The ‘Four for 24’ group is made up of four Norfolk nurses who have all had experience working at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital: Louise Langham-Hill, Natasha Pickett, Clare Johnson, and Bev Macfarlane (in the picture from left to right) .
This team know first-hand how important the air ambulance is in getting seriously ill or injured patients to them as quickly as possible and are taking on the 24 kilometre walking challenge to support the charity’s mission to expand their service to fly 24 hours a day.
Bev MacFarlane, ex ED nurse at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and current nurse at Cromer Hospital, said: “Supporting EAAA is very close to our hearts. All of us are ED nurses or ex-ED nurses so we have seen first-hand the benefit EAAA gives to patients who have suffered a life-threatening incident or medical emergency. Personally, my husband was knocked off his bicycle in an accident and taken to Addenbrooke’s by EAAA, so I am proud to take part in Trek 24 and do my part to raise funds for this vital charity”.
Trek 24 is a brand new fundraising event which has been created as part of the charity’s fundraising drive for EAAA’s Mission 24/7 – to fly their Anglia One helicopter from Norwich 24 hours a day. So far over 200 people are signed up to take part, and tickets for the event can still be purchased until 31 August.
Currently the helicopter flies from Norwich between 7am and 7pm. The charity’s expert doctors and paramedics already work 24/7, with the night shift provided via rapid response vehicle. By flying 24/7, the charity estimate they will be able to attend up to 600 more missions a year then they currently do, flying all over East Anglia, not just in Norfolk.
To do this, EAAA need to raise an additional £1 million a year – on top of the £12 million they already need to keep their helicopters flying and saving lives – and aim to be operational 24/7 by helicopter in 2020 - becoming the first air ambulance charity in the East of England to do so.
Leanne Kershaw, EAAA Events Fundraiser, said: “It’s vitally important to have a night-time helicopter service in the area, especially in rural Norfolk where it can take so long to get around by car. We’ve designed this event to support our mission 24/7 and have been really impressed with the number of people who have already signed up to take part and will be supporting us next month.
“Seeing teams like these lovely ladies entering is really special and we can’t wait to see a sea of blue EAAA supporters taking over the North Norfolk coastline next month. We hope that passers-by on the day will help to cheer these amazing walkers on!”.
For more information, go to www.eaaa.org.uk
20 years ago, on 6 September 2000, a new charity was formed to help save lives across East Anglia: the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA). Operating initially just one day a week, on a Friday from Norwich Airport, with one paramedic, this was the start of an important lifeline for many local people.
Monday, the start of National Air Ambulance Week, EAAA can reveal that over the last 20 years it has flown almost 30,000 missions and helped almost 20,000 patients, all thanks to the generosity of local people.
At a time of so much uncertainty, the charity, which needs to raise £13 million a year to develop and deliver its service, and is aiming to start flying 24/7 for the first time next year, is deeply grateful for the public support which has enable it to pass this milestone.
Together We Run is a new fundraising challenge from East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) which is encouraging local people to pledge their miles towards a collective 2,000 mile target.
EAAA normally organises several mass participation challenge events throughout the year, raising hundreds of thousands of pounds to help keep its yellow helicopters flying and saving lives. These events cannot go ahead this year, so the charity is asking its supporters to take part in Together We Run instead, a virtual fundraising challenge from 14 – 20 September, to run (or walk) a combined 2,000 miles, wherever and whenever suits them.
If successful, this virtual running event could become a regular addition to the charity’s event calendar, along with its Only the Brave muddy obstacle run and Trek 24 walking challenges.
The small team at Black Shuck Gin, based in Fakenham, continue to amaze EAAA with their generosity and kindness.
As well as supporting the charity with a limited edition gin this year and other various fundraising activities, they have spent their time during the lockdown tirelessly working with government authorities to produce a very much needed Alcohol Based Hand Sanitiser.
This has been donated to regional air ambulances, care homes, schools and key workers to help save lives during the pandemic. Black Shuck Gin have made a huge impact on EAAA and on the wider community.
Patrick and Sarah Saunders of Black Shuck Gin said: "We were thrilled, honoured and proud to hear that we had won the Most Inspirational Business Category in the East Anglian Air Ambulance Inspiration Awards. All of the nominees were outstanding and we thoroughly enjoyed reading all of their stories."
East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) is still flying and saving lives during the Covid-19 pandemic, but the cost of keeping its crews safe has been significant.
The charity has had to quickly adapt its operating procedures and source large amounts of personal protective equipment (PPE) in order to keep its two critical care teams safe and able to support the region’s emergency services. The estimated cost of acquiring the additional PPE now required over a six-month period is over £100,000.
The charity has launched an emergency appeal for donations to help fund the PPE, which is protecting its crews and keeping the air ambulance teams safe.
More than £25,000 of unbudgeted funds has already been spent on items such as respirators, high-protection masks, visors, suits, gowns and goggles to protect the doctors and critical care paramedics who are working in the pre-hospital environment.
The medical teams from East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) will be flying the flag for East Anglia in the next series of the increasingly popular Emergency Helicopter Medics which airs on Sunday 10 November, 9pm on More4.
This is the third series EAAA has featured in the programme, which regularly pulls in more than 500,000 viewers per episode. Alongside Great North Air Ambulance and Thames and Valley Air Ambulance, the show documents emergency call outs from June to August of this year.