Angela Brearley

Huddersfield facilities management company Orchard FM will be supporting Pedal for Pounds 10 both at home and away with a week-long office pedalthon running alongside the official European charity bike ride.

Local businesses are being invited to take their turn on the exercise bikes at Orchard’s Independence House offices between Monday 29^th April and Friday 3^rd May to help boost the Pedal for Pounds fundraising for Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Huddersfield Town Foundation, Kirkwood Hospice and Ruddi’s Retreat.

The pedalthon will be launched on Monday morning by Orchard FM colleagues and Pedal for Pounds team mates Gareth Henderson, Justin Holley and Jason Taylor before they set sail for Zeebrugge from Hull with the rest of this year’s P4P10 cyclists.

As they tackle the 313-mile route from Belgium, travelling through Bruges, Antwerp, Amsterdam, The Hague and Rotterdam their colleagues, clients and fellow businesses will be pedalling for extra pounds back in Huddersfield.

Gareth said: “This is my seventh Pedal for Pounds and the thing that motivates me most is the fact that we are local people with a common goal to support fantastic charities at the heart of our community.

“This year we wanted to do something to involve as many people as possible so that we can all do our bit to support P4P10.

“The money raised over the years has made a significant impact on the work of Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Huddersfield Town Foundation and other local charities and we hope as many people as possible will come along to join in the fun at Independence House. Everyone is welcome,” he added.

Nick Porthouse, an Engagement Manager at global software consultancy Equal Experts, is joining forces with some of his colleagues to cycle 220 miles from their London office to their Leeds office on 25^th and 26^th May to raise £12,000 – enough money to fund Yorkshire Air Ambulance for a day.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance came to the rescue of Nick’s stepson Tim Hoskin, 29, after he was involved in a motorcycle accident on the 30^th March 2018 in Pateley Bridge.

Tim was flown to Leeds General Infirmary by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, where it was discovered that he had suffered damage to his liver and kidneys, his lungs were crushed and he had several broken bones including his foot, ribs, thigh bone, pelvis and shoulder. He also suffered from concussion. Doctors prepared his family for the worst, but luckily Tim made a miraculous recovery. While he is still recuperating a year on from his accident, he can now walk unaided and has no lasting cognitive damage.

At Equal Experts, Nick and his colleagues are used to challenging themselves to solve complex business problems. So when Nick suggested embarking on a gruelling 220-mile bike ride to test his stamina and raise money for the charity that saved his stepson’s life, 15 of his work colleagues from all round the UK jumped at the chance to join him and help.

Speaking of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Nick said: “Everybody knows what the Yorkshire Air Ambulance does, but not everyone knows that it is a charity. Tim wouldn’t be alive without it and other people I know have benefitted from its help. It’s an important service for the whole of Yorkshire and one that we should all support.”

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance is an independent charity which provides life-saving rapid response emergency service 365 days a year to 5 million people across 4 million acres of Yorkshire. It costs £12,000 per day to keep both of Yorkshire’s air ambulances in the air and maintained. This is equivalent to £4.4 million each year.

To follow the team’s journey and make a donation, please visit: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Team/EqualExperts

We are happy to announce that the Yorkshire Air Ambulance has partnered up with Total Warrior to become one of their official charities for 2019.

Total Warrior takes place on 21^st, 22^nd and 23^rd June at Bramham Park, Leeds. Whether you’re competing solo, with friends or as a family or part of a corporate team, there’s courses tailored to suit all different abilities and needs, so that everyone can join in the fun.

If you sign up to Total Warrior via our website, you will receive discounted tickets and a free official Yorkshire Air Ambulance t-shirt.

Full Warrior course

This 12K course gives you the full Warrior experience and is packed with thrilling obstacles such as the ‘Human BBQ’, the ‘Plunge’ and the ‘Shocker’.

Half warrior course

The Half Total Warrior course is 6KM full of world class obstacles. The Total Warrior Half is not timed and is great for a group of friends looking for a unique experience that they will never forget.

Junior Warrior course

Junior Warrior returns across the weekend on an extended 3K course, packed with obstacles to challenge the whole family. Suitable for big and little kids aged 6 and over, they will be sure to have a blast. For the first time, adults are welcome to take on the course – including most obstacles – with their young ones.

For more information about Total Warrior to discuss corporate tickets, please contact our Corporate and Partnerships Manager, Katie Collinson on k.collinson@yaa.org.uk

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance provides a life-saving rapid response emergency service 365 days a year to five million people across 4 million acres of Yorkshire, and making sure everything is running smoothly in the cockpit is Chief Pilot Captain Steve Waudby.

In 2018, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance attended 1,858 incidents across Yorkshire and flew 416 patients to major trauma centres across the county.

Steve Waudby has worked periodically for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance over the last eight years in a freelance capacity, and in August last year he took up the permanent position of Chief Pilot.

In his role as the Chief Pilot of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, he is responsible for the safety of the aircraft and crew, staff development and training along with aircraft maintenance.  Not one to shy away from being behind the controls, Steve is also regularly rostered to fly both Helimed98 and Helimed 99 with the duty crew.

Steve’s passion for flying started at a mere age of 13, when he joined the Air Training Corps (air cadets).  He went solo in a glider at age 15, became a gliding instructor at age 16, and at age 20 won a Royal Air Force flying scholarship, where he obtained his Private Pilot’s license.

He joined the RAF in 1983 and worked his way up to Squadron Leader, qualifying as a flying instructor and later becoming the senior helicopter instructional standards examiner.  Throughout his 22 years of service, he has has flown all over the world including Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Bangladesh and Hong Kong.

Speaking of what inspired him to be a Pilot, he said: “My dad influenced me greatly. He was an engineer in the RAF who also started with the air cadets.  The air cadets encouraged me and helped me to develop my flying skills.  Without their grants and scholarships I wouldn’t be able to do what I do today.”

Steve also has experience dealing with medical emergencies from a young age.  When he was 12, he was given a Royal Award for Gallantry for saving a four-year-old who had fallen into a flooded quarry.  “I was playing near the quarry when a lady shouted that a child was drowning.  I ran down into the quarry and saw a young child face down in the water about 12ft from the edge.  I jumped in and dragged him to the side but was unable to lift him out due to the steep clay banks which were very slippy.  I had to tread water with him until help arrived.  The lady who shouted to me and a teenage boy eventually dragged us both out of the water and the victim was quickly revived.  The 4-year old boy made a full recovery.  I was awarded the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society Life Saving Award and the Scouting Gilt Cross for gallantry, I was also invited to meet Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Phillip at Windsor Castle.”

During his tour in Hong Kong Steve carried out several air sea rescues in Typhoon and severe tropical storm conditions and was awarded the Edward and Maisie Lewis award for the best search and rescue mission of 1993.  He and his crew rescued the crew of a ditched helicopter and 13 Chinese fishermen from a fishing boat in distress in winds gusting to over 100 mph and waves of over 40ft high.

With Yorkshire’s vast rolling Landscapes, abundance of farm life and some of the biggest cities in the North, YAA Pilots often have their work cut out.  Steve said: “We are trained to handle almost any situation, but the most challenging aspects of our job are flying in bad weather, landing in built up areas and flying in mountainous terrain where the winds are unpredictable.  Now that we can fly at night, utilising night vision technology, we have to do all of the above in the dark.”

From call inception to being up the air, Steve said: “We aim to be in the air within 3 minutes of receiving the call, and 10 minutes in the evening due setting up our night vision technology.  The Yorkshire Air Ambulance helicopters are able to travel at speeds of up to 160mph to transfer patients to hospital.”  Working with traumatic situations can be challenging, not only for the paramedics on scene, but also the Pilots who are in charge of ensuring the patient is safely transferred to hospital. “The incidents we are most apprehensive about are the ones involving children.  Until you get there you have no idea what the situation is going to be and it’s something that we all have to mentally prepare for.”

Speaking of why he loves working for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Steve concluded: “What I love about working for the YAA is the teamwork more than anything.  We have a wonderful bunch of paramedics and doctors who are second to none.  I like working in a team and the friendly banter that comes with it.  We see a lot of dreadful accidents and incidents each week, so it’s important to keep spirits lifted as much as possible and the team are fantastic at supporting each other.”

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance is an independent charity needing to raise £12,000 per day to keep both of Yorkshire’s air ambulances in the air and maintained.  This is equivalent to £4.4 million each year.

Former Yorkshire Air Ambulance patient Michelle Raine has raised an impressive £14,000 for the charity that saved her life after she hosted a ball at Tenants of Leyburn late last year.

On August 8^th, 2018, Michelle was a passenger in a tractor and slurry trailer, when it slipped down a hillside and overturned.

As a result of her accident, Michelle had broken her pelvis in five places and was flown immediately to Leeds General Infirmary, where she had surgery. During recovery, Michelle also suffered from a collapsed lung and pneumonia.

Keen to give back to the charity who helped save her life, Michelle and boyfriend Fin, who was also in the accident, organised and held a ball at the Garden Rooms at Tennants on the 24^th November 2018, which saw 431 people attend on the evening.

Guests dined on a three course meal prepared by Tennants and there was a raffle consisting of over 70 donated prizes, including helicopter rides, an Apple iWatch and a bottle of port. Stephen Jarmuz provided the disco.

Speaking of the event, Michelle, said: “We are so pleased with the final amount raised and the fact that we have raised enough to keep the Air Ambulance in service for a whole day is fantastic.”

She continued: “It was great to meet the paramedics at Topcliffe, especially Ant who was present at my accident, and even better to be able to present them with the money raised at the ball.  A huge thanks to everyone who attended the event and donated so generously!”

Lin Stead, North Regional Fundraiser, said: “I’d like to say a huge thank you to Michelle for arranging the event. It was a great night and all Michelle’s hard work paid off and we’re incredibly grateful for the donation. It costs £12,000 to keep the Yorkshire Air Ambulance service maintained and running and the £14,332.50 raised will help tremendously with the vital funding of our helicopters and help us continue to save more lives across Yorkshire.”

A former patient of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance has raised an incredible £4.6k walking the route from the scene where he had his accident back in 2017, to the hospital he was airlifted to.

Sam Bolton- Gould, 51 from Halifax, was commuting home from work on a bicycle, when a bus pulled out a T-junction and Sam’s bike went into the side of it, causing him serious injuries.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance flew Sam to Leeds General Infirmary, where it was revealed that he had sustained serious head injuries and had to endure a 10 hour operation to fix his fractured skull.

Keen to give back to the service which helped save his life and also gain closure from his accident, Sam embarked on a sponsored walk to raise money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance in August 2018.

Four people took part in the 10 hour walk along the A58 from Halifax to Leeds, including Sam and his wife Tess and two of their close friends. Their two sons joined in at the end to walk to the finish line.

The walk, along with other fundraising activities such as a raffle and donations from friends, raised an incredible £4,644.32 for the charity.

Sam said:”I have been amazed by how generous people have been and the support we received during our fundraising. Our initial goal was to raise £3,000 but we managed to beat our target by a further 50%.”

“It was great to see people cheer us on along the walk and support us through to the finish line – it just goes to show how greatly appreciated the Yorkshire Air Ambulance is in our area. We would like to thank everyone for their generosity.”

Jenny Jones, Regional Fundraising Manager for West Yorkshire, said: “A huge thank you to Sam for raising an incredible £4.6k. His donation will help tremendously towards the vital funding of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.”

Yorkshire Air Ambulance serves 5million people across Yorkshire and carries out over 1,300 missions every year. The charity needs to raise £12,000 every day to keep its two, state-of-the-art helicopters flying.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance announces a new partnership with Greenfinch, the online charitable investment platform. Support our vital emergency service with this novel fundraising channel.  

As a supporter of Yorkshire Air Ambulance, you directly contribute to a vital emergency service: one that rescues patients who require the most urgent care. These donations ensure that the charity can continue to do its best work for Yorkshire and the Humber.

But while direct donations are essential, they’re not the only way to contribute. Through Greenfinch, an online investment platform, you can help Yorkshire Air Ambulance continue its efforts – at no cost to yourself whatsoever.

Ethical investment

Research demonstrates that well over half (62%) of UK investors want to support companies that make a positive contribution to the world. It’s not hard to see why: many would like to make money and help society.

It’s this impulse that led to the creation of Greenfinch, which uses wealth management to raise money for charities like Yorkshire Air Ambulance. The You Give We Give (YGWG) scheme allows investors to donate up to 20% of any annual investment profits to a charity of their choice. TAM Asset Management, the FCA-regulated investment management company that runs Greenfinch, will match your contribution with an equal percentage from its annual fee.

Through Greenfinch’s non-advised platform – which allows you to select your own ethical and mainstream financial products and investments, without providing advice – you can see the returns each portfolio has achieved over a five-year period* and make a decision that’s right for you. You can then donate to a charity of your choice, including Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

How it works

The Greenfinch model is simple. Here’s an example.

Let’s say you have a portfolio valued at £200,000 on the first day of 2019. By New Year’s Eve 2019, this value has risen by 5% to £210,000.*

Because you’ve decided to donate 10% of your gain to Yorkshire Air Ambulance, the charity receives a gift of £1,000, along with 10% of TAM Asset Management’s annual fee. You’ve made money, Yorkshire Air Ambulance has received a sizable donation, and everyone wins.

At any time, you can change your charity of choice and your donation amount. This gives you superior control and flexibility over your giving – without requiring direct involvement from you (unless you’re feeling particularly hands-on). TAM Asset Management will break down the precise structure of payments in a letter every year. If you choose to provide your details, Yorkshire Air Ambulance will also be able to claim Gift Aid, increasing the amount it receives even more.

Investment for good

If you’re looking to make the most of your nest egg while doing some good, Greenfinch and Yorkshire Air Ambulance can help. Your support for the charity can work in tandem with your long-term capital growth objectives, making you money and allowing Yorkshire Air Ambulance to continue treating patients across Yorkshire and the Humber.

The Yorkshire Shepherdess is the focus of artist Anita Bowerman’s Christmas card collection for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Harrogate-based Anita has illustrated four paintings for the charity to use on this year’s Christmas card designs. In addition to two snowy scenes and one depicting York Minster, famous hill farmer Amanda Owen features on one of the cards with her flock of sheep and sheepdog.

Amanda, 43, is also a writer, photographer, public speaker and mother of nine! She lives with her husband Clive and their family at Ravenseat in Upper Swaledale, North Yorkshire – one of the highest, most remote hill farms in England.

Anita, who is an avid supporter of the YAA and has undertaken many illustrations for the chairy, said: “I immediately thought of Amanda when creating a wintry Yorkshire scene and was so pleased when she agreed to be the focus of the painting. She felt she could help promote the invaluable work the Yorkshire Air Ambulance does in rural areas.

“Amanda and her life as a shepherdess in this stunning scenery perfectly captures the essence of the Dales. I absolutely adored illustrating this winter scene featuring Amanda, her beloved dogs and sheep at Ravenseat in watercolours and gouache. I too, love animals and spent many hours working on each sheep and dog.”

After being featured in the ITV series The Dales, Amanda began documenting the incredible story of her farming life, before publishing two bestselling books The Yorkshire Shepherdess in 2014, and A Year in the Life of The Yorkshire Shepherdess in 2016.

Amanda said: “I am thoroughly delighted to be able to offer my support to the YAA. It was an incredible honour to be painted by such a talented artist as Anita and collaborate with her for such a worthwhile cause.

“It does make me smile wondering what exactly happened after the picture was painted, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance is hovering above….I wonder whether I was trampled by the sheep or savaged by a sheepdog? The picture is already hung up and very high it is too, out of reach of the many grubby fingers at Ravenseat!

“We are very much aware that living as remotely as we do the YAA is a vital service than can make the difference between life and death. We have had our fair share of medical emergencies, though are fortunate to have never yet ourselves required the services of YAA.

“I’m very impressed with the quality of Anita’s artwork, she really has captured the individual features of the dogs and sheep which is very important to me – for all are very different characters and the picture reflects this personally.

“Hopefully this is just the start of an excellent fundraising project with Anita which I would love to be involved in.”

Abby Barmby,  Director of Marketing & Communications at the YAA, added: “We have worked with Anita for a number of years now on our annual Christmas Card collection and each year they grow in popularity. This year, having Amanda included on one of the designs has just added something extra special to the collection, and we are absolutely delighted to have her support.

“In fact, Amanda’s card has been one of our most popular selling designs ever!  Thank you to both Anita and Amanda for such a wonderful collaboration to support the YAA.”

Amanda’s 2,000-acre working farm, has more than 1,000 sheep and nestles in stunning landscape, about an hour’s walk west of Keld. It is exactly half way on the hugely popular Coast to Coast walk – but a two-hour drive from the nearest hospital.

The profits from the sale of each pack of Christmas cards is donated back to the charity, helping them to raise the £12,000 they need each day to keep both of their helicopters in the air, and helping to save lives across the region.

Christmas cards can be bought directly from the YAA website: www.yaa.org.uk £4 for 10 cards and envelopes and includes postage.

The print and cards are available at anitabowerman.co.uk and yorkshireshepherdess.com or call into Anita’s working studio The Dove Tree Art Gallery & Studio, Back Granville Rd, Harrogate HG1 1AB. Telephone 07760 157046.

 The Yorkshire Air Ambulance held their inaugural North Yorkshire Fundraising Regional Awards at the Devonshire Arms Hotel near Skipton on 19^th September 2018.

The event is part of a series of regional award ceremonies the Yorkshire Air Ambulance is running to thank fundraisers across the County for their dedication to the charity, with the main Yorkshire-wide ceremony taking place in October in Sheffield.

Regional staff selected eight of the most deserving solo and group fundraisers from the North Yorkshire region and awards on the day were presented by Peter Sunderland, Chairman of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Helen Callear, Regional Fundraising Manager for North Yorkshire, said: “We have a lot of incredible, dedicated fundraisers in North Yorkshire and these awards have been a great opportunity to show our fundraisers & supporters how grateful we are for their hard work and helping us raise the funds for our air ambulance service which is vital in rural areas such as North Yorkshire”.

Individual Fundraising Champion – Michael Saxby

Michael Saxby, from Bedale, raised just over £6,500 walking events such as the Lyke Wake Walk with friends Anthony Soulsby and Andrew McDonald, and he also became an event volunteer during the Tour de Yorkshire. His award was collected by his son Robin on the day, who is aspiring to follow in his father’s fundraising footsteps.

Patient Fundraising Family award – Ellie Peacock

Ellie Peacock, 11, from Bainbridge, suffers from Brittle Bone Disease and needed the help of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance when she was airlifted to hospital in March 2016 after breaking her leg. With the help of her friends and family, she raised £3,800 by holding a fundraising breakfast at their café in the village.

Outstanding Fundraising Award – The Heritage Boys

Harrogate based The Heritage Boys have been travelling around the UK and Europe playing hits from the 60s at various events, with all the proceeds going to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Andy, Ian and Peter, along with their manager Anne have raised over £19,000 since they began supporting the YAA.­­

Business Fundraising Champion – Woodhouse Farm Holiday Park

Woodhouse Farm Holiday Park in Winksley, Ripon have raised just under £12,500 through fundraising events at the holiday park.  Marie Laverick and her team including one of the holiday park owners, Alison Laverick have been keen supporters of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and have put a lot of work into increasing the awareness of the charity with support posters around the park. Events this year included coffee mornings and hog roasts around the Tour de Yorkshire.

Community Fundraising Champions –The Scott Trial (Richmond Motor Group)

Richmond Motor Group has supported the Yorkshire Air Ambulance since 2008 and have raised over £13,000. Funds were raised during the ‘Scott Trial’, one of the UK’s most challenging motorcycle trials.  The trial takes on 80 miles of cross-country racing in some of the most picturesque parts of North Yorkshire.  Funds are raised from the entrance fees for the event.

Community Fundraising Champions – The ‘Early Birds’ Swimmers

The ‘Early Birds’ swimmers are a group of swimmers who attend Knaresborough Swimming Pool at 7.30am most mornings for the Early Bird session.  So far they have raised £11,000 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance by setting themselves swimming challenges such as swimming the equivalent of Loch Lomond.

Special Recognition – Katy Hutchcraft-Stott

Katy Hutchcroft-Stott from Stockton on Tees started raising money after she sadly lost her father in 2017.  Although the YAA were able to care for him and get him to hospital, Katy’s father sadly passed away the following day. Since then, Katy has raised £4,000 through a series of events held her at her pub, The Garrick Hotel, Teeside in her father’s memory.

Special Recognition – Ian McDonough

Ian McDonough along with his family, and close friend Paul Arnold, raised more than £10,000 for the  Charity after Ian’s brother Pat died following a bike accident near Buttertubs Pass, where the Yorkshire Air Ambulance attended. Their first fundraiser for the charity was a 20 mile walk along the Cleveland Way, starting at the Ship Inn in Saltburn and finishing at the Angel Hotel in Whitby. They have since taken part in further walks, bike rides and held social events in aid of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

The event was hosted with support of The Devonshire Arms Hotel, who are currently supporting the Yorkshire Air Ambulance as their Charity of the Year.  Guests enjoyed afternoon tea at the hotel prior to the awards ceremony taking place.

A newlywed couple from Doncaster are lucky to be alive following a horrific motorbike accident just days before their first wedding anniversary.

Ian Werret, 52, and his wife Clare, 44 were on a bike ride in the Selby area, when Ian was overtaking a car turning off a motorway, resulting in the collision.

Ian and Clare were flung from the back of the motorbike and ended up lying 10 yards away from each other on a grass verge.

Clare said: “I remember being on the bike, then being in the air and then I woke up on the grass – I must have passed out. “

With the Yorkshire Air Ambulance in attendance, it was down to the paramedics on board to assess the severity of both parties injuries.  Subsequently, Ian was flown to the Major Trauma Centre at Leeds General Infirmary as he was deemed the most seriously injured of the two, and Clare was taken by land ambulance to Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield.

Clare continued: “I remember the air ambulance crew checking over my knee and I didn’t know how Ian was. Then I overheard that his stats were dropping and he needed to be airlifted.”

Assessments at Leeds General Infirmary revealed that Ian had cracked two vertebrae, nine broken ribs,  fractured his shoulder and had two collapsed lungs. Clare suffered from leg injuries, a broken rib  and also a collapsed lung. They both went on to make a good recovery considering their injuries.

Despite their horrific accident, biker of 37 years Ian, has not been put off riding. As soon as they returned home from hospital, his first priority was to assess the damage of his prized bike.

The couple returned home just in time to celebrate their first wedding anniversary together, recovering on the sofa – it wasn’t quite the celebrations they both had in mind.

Speaking of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Clare said: “If it wasn’t for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, I don’t think my husband would here today.”

Ian and Clare’s story will feature in episode 10 of Helicopter ER. Helicopter ER, which airs at 9pm on UKTV’s real life channel Really, also features a woman who accidentally stabbed herself with a knife, a man who fell two storeys at a local post office and a child who had a serious fall in a North Yorkshire woods.

Helicopter ER is made by York-based Air Television who have won two Royal Television Society awards for their work on the compelling series.

Claire Walton, aged 28, was riding her horse at a farm near Ingleby on 27^th March 2016, when she got her foot stuck in a gate post and as the horse bucked, she was thrown to the ground, leaving her with her spine broken in seven places.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance was called to the farm and Claire was rushed to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, where she underwent emergency spinal surgery.

Surgeons had Claire walking the very next day. However, they stressed that if it wasn’t for the initial treatment and speedy transfer by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, she may not have been so lucky.

A year after her accident, Claire got back in the saddle and decided to fundraise for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.  It was there when she met the man who helped save her and also inspired her career change.

Paramedic Andy Armitage has had a varied career from starting out as a postman to becoming a fitness instructor. He now works for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance as one of their fully trained aircrew paramedics.

Andy impressed Claire with his reassuring and calm nature on the day he attended her, accident and when  Claire mentioned that she had always wanted to work as a paramedic, but she thought she was too old to retrain, Andy inspired her by saying: ‘it is never too late.’

Claire has now been accepted on to a BSC Hons degree studying Paramedic Practice at Teeside University and will be starting this month. Her goal is to one day work for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Claire, said: “The Yorkshire Air Ambulance service is invaluable and I hope that one day like them, I can make a difference to someone’s life.”

A man who was airlifted to hospital following a serious heart attack, is now walking at least 30 minutes per day in order to help keep his heart healthy.

Ken Allanby, 75, from Baldersby, North Yorkshire, always led an active lifestyle riding motorcycles, cycles and walking with his family. He had always been generally fit and healthy, until one day he suddenly suffered a serious heart attack.

Catherine, Ken’s wife, had just returned home from walking their dog when her husband started complaining of chest pains.  She left the room to book him a doctor’s appointment, but when she returned, his condition had rapidly deteriorated.

Catherine, a retired nurse, said: “He suddenly went grey and started gasping for air. As soon as he started crying I knew something was wrong and he told to me call an ambulance.”

Paramedics who were first on scene assessed Ken and told him that he would need to go to hospital for some bloods tests. However, moments later Ken went into cardiac arrest.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance were immediately scrambled given Ken’s serious condition, and when they arrived at Ken’s home, he was in a critical condition. Paramedics had already managed to restart his heart, but time was of the essence and he needed immediate transfer to hospital.

YAA medics helped to stabilise Ken then they flew him to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough.  During the 15 minute journey, which would have taken 45 minutes on the road, the team were on standby in case of any further deterioration in Ken’s condition. Only 5% of cardiac arrests are successfully resuscitated, and Ken had already defied the odds earlier that day.

Luckily, Ken arrived at the hospital and was quickly handed over to cardiac surgeons, who managed to successfully remove a blockage from his heart, and he was well on the road to recovery within four days.

Since his distressing ordeal, Ken has been able to go back to the things he enjoyed doing such as riding his motorbike, but he also vowed to make sure he does 30 minutes of exercise daily to keep his heart healthy.

Catherine added: “The Yorkshire Air Ambulance and the local paramedics were absolutely fabulous. From the speed that they arrived, to how they handled the situation, you really couldn’t fault them.”