Lucy Thornton from Monk Fryston near Selby who also attends Wakefield Girls’ high school has raised an impressive £1,365 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance through her Duke of Edinburgh bronze award.
Yorkshire Air Ambulance provides a life-saving rapid response emergency service to five million people across four million acres of Yorkshire. It costs £12,000 a day to keep of Yorkshire’s air ambulances maintained and in the air.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award is an extracurricular activity to help young people gain life skills and enhance their CVs. To complete the Bronze, Silver and Gold awards, participants are encouraged to volunteer for a charity for six to 12 months depending on the award level.
Taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh award for the Thornton’s is a family affair. Lucy’s mum Sarah and sister both completed the award too.
Lucy chose to support Yorkshire Air Ambulance after they assisted her father Mike following a cycling incident in Knaresborough in September 2021. Their Critical Care Team treated Lucy’s dad and accompanied him by land ambulance to the hospital. He suffered brain injuries but has thankfully made a full recovery.
“I chose this charity because they help lots of people in need. If people weren’t so generous, there wouldn’t be an air ambulance because it is funded completely by donations”, said Lucy.
To raise much-needed funds for the life-saving service, Lucy organised a quiz afternoon at her local community centre, a raffle and her dad sold merchandise at his business.
A spokesperson for Wakefield Girls’ high school, said: “We are incredibly proud of the dedication and personal commitment that Lucy has shown in her DofE volunteering. Our DofE program is just one of the ways that students at Wakefield Girls’ are motivated and supported to make a difference in their community. Well done Lucy – we look forward to supporting you further.”
Angela Vyas, West Yorkshire Community Fundraiser for Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to Lucy for supporting our Charity and raising an impressive £1,365 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance. It’s great to see young people getting involved in volunteering, they are the charity fundraisers of the future and will ensure the service the continuity of our service for many years to come.”