General

Eleven months ago, baby Mia almost died after a contracting a chest infection. The premature infant choked on her bottle, stopped breathing and then turned blue.

Her distraught Mum called the emergency services who helped family members give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation at their Catterick Garrison home before Yorkshire Air Ambulance paramedics arrived.

Mia and her Mum were airlifted within minutes to paediatric specialists at the James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough where the tiny tot stopped breathing again and was placed on a ventilator.

“It was so frightening. One minute she was being fed and the next she was completely blue and not breathing,” said 18-year-old Naomi.

“The people on the phone were telling us what to do and my partner Dean, who came running in, managed to get Mia breathing again.

“The air ambulance paramedics were brilliant. I was really scared and had never been in a helicopter but they really made me feel safe and got us to hospital so quickly.

“I can’t thank them enough for all they did that day.”

Mia was in intensive care for several days but was able to return home to her relieved parents after a week. She has now fully recovered and has just celebrated her first birthday at the couple’s Richmond home.

The dramatic fight to save her life features in this week’s episode of Helicopter ER – the UKTV series that follows the life-saving work of Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

The programme also features a motorcyclist who suffered multiple injuries after a horror crash and a shrub cutting job that nearly ended in disaster for a North Yorkshire handyman.

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

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) serves 5million people across Yorkshire and carries out over 1,250 missions every year. The charity needs to raise £12,000 every day to keep saving lives.

You can watch Helicopter ER on Monday night at 9pm on Really or on catch-up on UKTV Play (uktvplay.co.uk)

Sarah Drayton was walking her two dogs by the Aire and Calder Canal near her home in Pollington, near Goole, on a freezing morning last winter when her German wire haired pointer puppy Daisy fell into the icy water.

“As we passed another dog walker Daisy had slipped out of her harness and went into the water. I over-reached trying to get her out and then I fell in too,” said mother-of-two Sarah.

Her fellow dog walker Wendy Butt, 75, tried to help Sarah out of the water but without success. “It was about 15ft deep and the sides are sheet metal and I just couldn’t get out and Wendy didn’t have the strength to pull me out either.

“We managed to fish Daisy out and I managed to get my toes onto a ledge but the water was still just under my neck.”

After phoning for help, Wendy stayed with Sarah at the remote location, keeping her spirits up and holding a scarf which was supporting Sarah in the water under her armpits. Both held on for over 45 minutes until emergency services arrived.

“When you are in that situation you just deal with it but when I saw the emergency services coming I did burst into tears,” said Wendy, also from Pollington.

Humberside Fire Brigade got Sarah out of the water and Yorkshire Air Ambulance paramedics helped stabilize Sarah, 41, and start the long process of warming her up, before she was taken to Doncaster Royal Infirmary.

Sarah is planning to run a half marathon for the rapid response emergency service next year and added: “This has highlighted the dangers of canals and I now don’t walk near the edge at all.

“But it has also showed just how important the air ambulance service is particularly in remote areas and I’m just very grateful to them, and to Wendy for all she did on the day.”

Wendy also has very good reason to thank Yorkshire Air Ambulance after a crew was dispatched to her six months later after she broke her ankle on a dog walk.

“It makes you realise how lucky we are to have such services available to us,” she added. “They were brilliant on both occasions.”

Individual members of staff sign up to a scheme called Pennies from Heaven, where every month their salary is rounded down to the nearest pound with the pennies donated to charity. The most someone can ever give is 99p every time they’re paid, but the overall amount soon adds up.

A total of £2,416.85 has been raised by staff over the past three years or so. Companies and organisations can choose who they donate to.  

Phillip Marshall, Director of Workforce and Organisational Development at Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I’m proud that so many colleagues have signed up to Pennies from Heaven to make a small sacrifice which, when added together, makes a big difference.

“Thank you to all my colleagues who are signed up to Pennies from Heaven. The Yorkshire Air Ambulance Charity relies on the generosity of individuals and organisations to help save lives across Yorkshire and I’m so pleased we are able to support them in this way.

“Visiting Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s base was a great way for us to jointly acknowledge the contributions from members of staff at the Trust towards the operation of Yorkshire Air Ambulance. They’ve certainly doubled our enthusiasm to further promote our Pennies from Heaven Scheme so we can increase our contributions to Yorkshire Air Ambulance.”

Helen Callear, YAA’s Regional Fundraising Manager, added: “It was lovely to welcome Phillip and Hillary down to Nostell so they could see first-hand how the money their colleagues donate through the Pennies from Heaven scheme is used to help keep our service operational. We are extremely grateful for their support and I’d like to thank everyone who donates their ‘pennies’ to help raise these vital funds.”

Hillary Levitt, The Trust’s Trade Union colleagues representative and Unison Branch Secretary, said: “I was delighted to be asked to attend a visit to Yorkshire Air Ambulance base along with Phillip on behalf of trade union colleagues.  It was a wonderful opportunity to meet with the staff and understand the different roles they perform. Everyone was very welcoming, so enthusiastic and willing to spend their valuable time showing us round.

“I was extremely fortunate to be able to sit in the Air Ambulance and have my photograph taken. I was totally amazed by the interior of the Air Ambulance and the compartmentalisation/storage of all the equipment. All in all, an amazing experience and I will certainly be participating in the Pennies from Heaven scheme at work.”  

The potentially life-saving initiative has been funded through a donation of more than £16,000 from the Henry Surtees Foundation.

The Foundation was founded by motor sport legend John Surtees CBE, following the tragic death of his son Henry, killed aged just 18 whilst competing in a Formula 2 race at Brands Hatch in 2009.

Leonora Surtees-Martell, daughter of the late John Surtees said, “The Henry Surtees Foundation is delighted to support the Yorkshire Air Ambulance Charity with a grant of £16,000. The service that they provide is vital and something which is continuously developing. The swift medical intervention provided by the Air Ambulance crews, gives patients a far greater chance of survival and subsequent quality of life.”

The donation has paid for specially designed, thermostatically controlled boxes for the safe transport and storage of the blood, as well as the equipment needed to warm the blood prior to transfusion.

Dr Jez Pinnell, Medical Adviser at Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said: “People with traumatic injuries are at greater risk from bleeding to death so having blood available on the air ambulance will benefit those patients prior to arriving at hospital.

“It will buy us extra time and allow us to replace the blood they’re losing. I believe it will be a great step forward in enhancing care for patients when they most need it and would like to thank our partners in making this possible.”

Blood is being supplied by the Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust and will be delivered from Pinderfields Hospital in Wakefield by the Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes charity service.

Mandy O’Shea, Chief Biomedical Scientist – Blood Transfusion at the Trust, said: “We are delighted to be involved in this project. As a department, we have been responsible for developing and delivering training to all those involved in the process, including the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bike volunteers.

“Having blood on board the Yorkshire Air Ambulance will make a significant difference to those critically ill patients requiring a blood transfusion at the scene.”

Paranjit Bharaj, Regional and Blood on Board Project Manager for Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes added:

“Providing the daily, ‘Blood On Board’ delivery service from the Pinderfield Hospital to the Air Support Unit at Nostell is a service we have easily adapted to.  After all, we operate a fleet of cars and motorcycles to provide an, ‘Out of Hours’ urgent transportation service which is free to the NHS to support Hospitals and Hospices across Yorkshire.

“It seemed a logical progression that Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes were most suited to supporting the wonderful work of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance in this way.”

Blood will initially be carried on the Yorkshire Air Ambulance flying from the charity’s air support unit at Nostell, near Wakefield, which has a doctor on board. Further paramedic training is planned to enable the service to be extended to helicopter based at RAF Topcliffe near Thirsk later this year.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) serves 5million people across Yorkshire and carries out over 1,250 missions every year. The charity operates two, state-of-the-art Airbus H145 helicopters and needs to raise £12,000 every day to keep saving lives.

The blood on board initiative is the latest service enhancing development at Yorkshire Air Ambulance which also started night flying operations this month.

Total for charity campaign now tops £1.7 million

– Another £232,007 raised for the ‘Keep It Up campaign’
– Total for the charity campaign now tops £1.7 million
– Money is evenly split between the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Town’s Academy

Generous Huddersfield Town supporters raised another £232,007 for the pioneering ‘Keep It Up’ campaign during the 2016/17 season.

That takes the ‘Keep It Up’ campaign’s fundraising total to over £1.7 million since its inception in 2009, with the money being split evenly between the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and the Huddersfield Town Academy.

Most of last season’s funds were generated by the latest instalment of ‘Pedal for Pounds’; the P4P8 ride known as the ‘Wagner Way’ as Huddersfield Town fans and Yorkshire Air Ambulance supporters cycled from David’s old club Dortmund to Huddersfield. Those cyclists – combined with the teams that undertook the challenge from ‘Hull to Home’ – earned £189,369 for the fundraising campaign. Huddersfield Town and the YAA would also like to thank Made by Cooper who sponsored the P4P8 event.

Club Ambassador Andy Booth’s ‘Hillsborough to Home’ walk, which was sponsored by Club Partner Absolute Warehouse Service, raised an impressive £18,894 too.

The remainder of the funds were generated by the initiatives of individual supporters, who made one-off donations or created bespoke events, and through the ‘Bag It Up’ recycling scheme.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Director of Fundraising Garry Wilkinson and Partnerships Manager Katie Collinson visited PPG Canalside to celebrate the latest addition to the fundraising total. They are pictured with Town players Tommy Smith and Aaron Mooy, as well as Andy Booth and Robyn Kennerdale; both key figures in the fundraising campaign.

Boothy commented:

“I’m so proud of the generosity of the people of Huddersfield – and particularly Huddersfield Town fans – when it comes to the ‘Keep It Up’ campaign and this latest addition to the total is truly staggering.

“Events like P4P8 are always fantastic fun, but equally it’s important to keep in mind why we undertake these challenges and the money raised from these events genuinely helps the Yorkshire Air Ambulance save lives across our region.

“I would like to thank everyone who has taken part in a ‘Keep It Up’ event or has donated whatever they could to the cause, both personally and on behalf of the Club.”

Garry Wilkinson of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance added:

“We never failed to be amazed by the generosity of the Huddersfield Town fans and their supporters.

“We are genuinely grateful to everyone that has participated or supported events for the ‘Keep It Up’ campaign.

“Our partnership with Huddersfield Town continues to go from strength to strength and it really is a privilege for us to work alongside such a fantastic team.”

For those hoping to get involved in the next KIU campaign event, keep checking htafc.com this week for more details!

Yorkshire Air Ambulance has appointed a new Director of Fundraising.

Garry Wilkinson, former Director of Fundraising and Marketing at Kirkwood Hospice, Huddersfield, joins the rapid response emergency charity following the retirement of Paul Gowland.

Paul, who joined Yorkshire Air Ambulance as a community fundraiser 17 years ago, has been a significant figure in the development of the charity.  He created and led a hugely successful fundraising team, taking the charity’s income from £1million to £8million a year.

Paul said: “I’ve had an amazing 17 years at Yorkshire Air Ambulance. In that time, I’ve seen it go from a struggling, fledgling charity with a leased Bolkow helicopter, a Portakabin as its office, and not knowing where the next month’s funds were coming from, to a successful and thriving organisation with secure, long-term plans for the people of Yorkshire.

“It’s been absolutely fantastic and very humbling to be part of such a great team; working with the staff, trustees, pilots, paramedics and doctors, who really are an inspiring bunch of individuals.

“I would also like to pay particular tribute to our Chairman Peter Sunderland who has allowed me to build the fundraising team we have today, and for his support along the way.”

The YAA’s new Director of Fundraising, Garry Wilkinson, has worked in the charitable sector since 2001 and joins the charity after 11 years at Kirkwood Hospice.

He is looking forward to the challenge of building on Paul’s legacy. “Yorkshire Air Ambulance has such a fantastic reputation and has such impact in terms of the lives it saves and the difference it makes to people right across Yorkshire and beyond.

“It is really refreshing that the charity has developed with a strong ethical approach to fundraising. It is important that money is raised in the right way with no cold calling, door knocking or chugging.

“It’s about sustainability and it’s fantastic to be part of an organisation that has a clear future-proofing strategy to put the YAA at the forefront of air ambulance services.

“That is a credit to all that Paul has achieved and I am looking forward to the challenge of following in his footsteps.”

Yorkshire Air Ambulance serves 5million people and carries out over 1,250 missions every year. It needs to raise £12,000 every day to keep flying and has just replaced its two, ageing aircraft with brand new, state-of-the-art Airbus H145 helicopters.

Garry heads up a 12-strong fundraising team and works closely with corporate sponsors and YAA Chairman Peter Sunderland to support the delivery of the charity’s fundraising strategy.

Mr Sunderland added: “Paul Gowland has been a great asset to the YAA and has done a phenomenal job over the last 17 years establishing and building our successful fundraising team and playing a key role on our Senior Management Team.

“We are delighted to welcome Garry to the team. We know he will build on that work to help us to ensure that the charity remains in a position to provide the whole of Yorkshire with a state-of-the-art, world class air ambulance service.”

The rescue of a bus driver who collapsed at the wheel of his shopper’s special to Wetherby features in this week’s episode of Helicopter ER – the UKTV series that follows the life-saving work of Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Ian Batty, 56, was driving the Arriva service between Wakefield and Wetherby when he passed out near the village of Barwick-in-Elmet.

His bus mounted an embankment before coming to a halt. But, thanks to a passing van driver who placed his vehicle by the side of the bus, all passengers were able to get out safely with only a few minor cuts and bruises.

Both Yorkshire Air Ambulance helicopters were dispatched to the scene and joined emergency services who rescued Ian from his cab.

“It all happened right out of the blue,” said Ian from Stanley, Wakefield. “I had had no signs or symptoms that anything was wrong but, basically, I just went very light headed.

“I thought I am going to have to stop the bus and I was apparently pressing the brake pedal when I passed out.”

Ian, who has been a bus driver for 10 years, was only concerned for his passengers when he came round. The father-of-two was airlifted to Leeds General Infirmary and tests later revealed an undiagnosed heart condition which has now been treated with the fitting of a pacemaker.

Ian, who is now fully fit and back at work, has nothing but praise for Yorkshire Air Ambulance, a charity that is close to his heart already as son Chris is a volunteer for the rapid response emergency service.

He added: “We run bus services out to The Dales on a Sunday and Bank Holidays which quite often take serious walkers and I hold collections twice a year for the Air Ambulance, thinking these are the people who are likely to need the service.

“I never imagined that I would ever need to be airlifted to hospital and I am just very grateful. They are a fantastic service and are very much our family charity now.”

Ian’s accident, which happened last December, features in tonight’s episode of Helicopter ER at 9pm on Really or on catch-up on UKTV Play (uktvplay.co.uk)

The episode also features a holidaying cyclist who collided with a sheep and a motorcyclist who suffered an horrific leg injury after coming off his bike.

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

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) serves 5million people across Yorkshire and carries out over 1,250 missions every year. The charity needs to raise £12,000 every day to keep saving lives.

The accident, and the dramatic attempts by doctors and paramedics to save Scott’s life, feature in Monday night’s episode of Helicopter ER, the UKTV series which follows the work of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Scott suffered multiple bleeds on the brain as well as a serious leg injury and was placed in a medically induced coma at the scene before being airlifted to Leeds General Infirmary.

After three months in hospital, during which he had major brain and orthopaedic surgery, Scott was transferred to the neurological rehabilitation unit at Kendray Hospital, Barnsley.

During six months of intensive therapy Scott had to learn how to walk and talk again, how to feed and dress himself.

Devastated family and friends began fundraising to thank Yorkshire Air Ambulance. This was the second time the rapid response emergency service has airlifted a member of the Remmer family, with Scott’s brother Luke also needing the iconic yellow helicopter after a motor-cross accident in 2014.

Grateful Mum Kate, a medical secretary at Shepley GP Practice, said: “Without the air ambulance Scott would not have survived. It is that simple. They are an amazing charity and we really wanted to raise £12,000 – the cost of keeping them flying for a day.

“It also gave us a focus during what was a very difficult time and we have just been so touched by how much support we have had.”

Over 20 family and friends, including Scott’s girlfriend Fern Hopkins, took part in the York 10K. His close friends Lewis Reynolds and Ian Walker, of rising Huddersfield band LewRey, also wrote and recorded a song dedicated to him called ‘Til You Come Home’.

All profits from the single, which is available on iTunes to download, are going to Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Scott has now recovered enough to start the final year of his English Language degree course at Sheffield Hallam University.

The aspiring teacher said: “I was only a couple of modules and my dissertation away from completing my degree when I had the accident so I really wanted to go back and finish it.

“It’s been hard. I had to learn to walk and talk again and a stutter that I had as a child has come back but I’ve had so much support and I’m just very lucky to be alive.”

Scott’s dramatic roadside treatment and recovery can be seen on Helicopter ER at 9pm on Monday, September 25, on Really.

The episode also features a tragic road accident on the M6 which left one man dead and other paralysed and the first mission completed by one of Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s two new state-of-the-art Airbus H145 helicopters.

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

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) serves 5million people across Yorkshire and carries out over 1,250 missions every year. The charity needs to raise £12,000 every day to keep saving lives.

Michael Leng performed CPR on his wife Helen after she collapsed in the bedroom of their home in the village of Ebberston, near Pickering.

His life-saving efforts and those of Yorkshire Air Ambulance crew, paramedics and doctor will feature in Monday’s episode of Helicopter ER, the UKTV series which follows the work of the rapid response emergency service.

Retired head teacher Helen had been out dog walking but returned home early complaining of chest pains. She collapsed in the bedroom of the couple’s home and Michael started CPR just before Yorkshire Air Ambulance paramedics arrived.

Helen’s heart was shocked twice with a defibrillator and YAA’s second air ambulance dispatched to bring specialist emergency medicine consultant Dr Sarah Milton-Jones to the scene.

She anaesthetized Helen in the couple’s back garden so she could be safely airlifted to the James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, where Helen spent six weeks after surgery to fit a stent in a blocked artery.

“I was at death’s door at least three times in hospital but thanks to the quick actions of my husband doing CPR and the swift arrival of the air ambulance my heart was not badly damaged and once I turned the corner I recovered well,” said Helen, who will celebrate her 70th birthday this week (September 19).

“I’ve had a replacement shoulder as that was somehow dislocated and broken during all the drama and so I’m driving again and pretty much doing all the things I did before.

“It was very hard for MIchael who had nightmares for a while. You never know what is around the corner so you have to make the most of every day and I’m just very grateful for the fact that there are air ambulances and that they are savings lives in Yorkshire every single day.”

Helen visits many people in need in Ebberston as village pastor with the local Methodist Church. Following her heart attack, the village held fundraising events to buy two defibrillators – the first of which is now installed.

She is also the third resident of Ebberston to be airlifted by Yorkshire Air Ambulance. The first person was recovered following a road accident and the iconic yellow helicopter landed a second time following a horse riding accident – a rescue which will feature in a later episode of Helicopter ER.

The dramatic efforts to save Helen’s life can be seen on Helicopter ER at 9pm on Monday, September 18, on Really.

The episode also features the story of two men who fell through the roof of a meat processing factory and a young girl who comes off her bike while competing in a motorcycle trials event.

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

Following a visit from their CAA Flight Operations Inspector, Paddy Connelly, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) were granted approval to extend their operational hours into darkness earlier last week, bringing further benefits to the people of Yorkshire.

The Charity, which operates two fully night capable Airbus H145 helicopters, will now be available to respond to incidents from 6am until midnight during the week, and 10pm on weekends initially, with crews wearing latest generation night vision goggles.

Captain Andy Lister, Director of Aviation at the YAA commented “This really is a great step forward in the operational developments of the YAA. Our Pilots and crews have worked extremely hard over the last few months to undertake and learn the processes involved in NVIS flying.  It is a complex process for our operational team to have embarked on, however I am pleased to report that we now have a fully capable NVIS team at the YAA.  I am very proud of them all, and know we are moving forward together to provide the best possible service for the people of Yorkshire.”

Working in partnership with Yorkshire Ambulance NHS Trust, the YAA now offers extended flying hours into the night, as well as two state-of-the-art H145 helicopters which carry the latest generation of medical equipment, advanced clinical practices, alongside the ability to give blood at scene, where required.  Two highly trained paramedics fly alongside skilled Pilots, and the Nostell helicopter also carries a Consultant specialising in pre-hospital care.

Cpt Lister continued “The YAA will commence NVIS operations with immediate effect, now we have been granted approval by the CAA.  This will mean our crew will be operational for longer periods each day, enabling them to respond to incidents into the hours of darkness.  This will be particularly beneficial in the winter months, when the nights come in much quicker.  Our Pilots and navigational crew will wear the NVIS goggles in the front of the helicopter which will enable them to identify any hazards or obstacles when approaching a landing site.

The Charity are also committed to the ongoing safety and development of its staff, and will be continually training and reviewing our NVIS operations.   Whilst we have a number of paramedics already NVIS approved, we are continuing to train the rest of the crew, and expect to have everyone approved for NVIS operations by the end of October, when we will then become a fully night-capable operator.”

The YAA serves 5million people across Yorkshire and carries out over 1,250 missions every year. The Charity operates two, state-of-the-art Airbus H145 helicopters and needs to raise £12,000 every day to keep saving lives.  They also feature in the TV documentary series ‘Helicopter ER’ which is currently airing on digital channel Really, on Mondays at 9pm.

The exclusive dinner, which was held at his home in Boston Spa, was organised to celebrate the special milestone in his cricketing career and to raise money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, of which Geoffrey is a Patron.

Around 180 people attended the dinner, which was hosted in a marquee in the garden of the home where he lives with his wife Rachael, and attended by friends, associates and supporters of the cricket legend.

Geoffrey commented “This was a very special anniversary for me – I was the 18th Batsman in the history of the game to score a hundred first class centuries, but the first to do so in a Test Match.  I knew we needed to do something special to mark the occasion, and as a Patron of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance I couldn’t think of anything better than a celebration dinner at our home to raise money for the Charity.  I left it to my wife Rachael to organise, and what a splendid job she did.  It was a cracking night!”

Kevin Connelly, best known for his appearances on the popular TV and radio show ‘Dead Ringers’ compered the evening, and an auction was run by Yorkshire auctioneer Caroline Hawley, best known for her appearances on BBC’s ‘Bargain Hunt’ and ‘Flog It’.  Six ‘money can’t buy’ prizes raised over £22,000 alone.

The pinnacle of the evening, was Geoffrey taking to the stage with long-time friend, and BBC Look North presenter, Harry Gration, to talk about the highs and lows of his cricketing career, and re-live that moment at Headingley 40 years ago.  Archive film footage was shown spanning Geoffrey’s cricket career, and included a recent stint in the media when fellow cricket commentator Jonathon Agnew played a prank on him over the special anniversary live on air.

The catering management of the evening came from the Devonshire Arms at Bolton Abbey, who also have adopted the YAA as their Charity of the year for the last two years.  The hotel went above and beyond on the evening by donating a further £1,000 to the event, when the initial figure raised was £49,000, bringing the total to over £50,000.

Adam Dyke, General Manager of the Devonshire Arms added: “It was both a privilege and a pleasure for ‘The Dev’ to cater for such an amazing event – a Yorkshire evening good ‘n’ proper….. supporting our chosen Yorkshire charity, as well as paying tribute to one of Yorkshire’s most iconic sporting personalities, Geoffrey Boycott. He and his wife, Rachael, are such generous hosts and support the charity so well with their tireless input and dedication.”

The evening was supported by many wonderful companies such as Laurent Perrier UK, who donated the champagne, Bleikers of Catterick who gave smoked salmon for the starter, Pontefract based Dovecote Park who donated the beef for the main course, Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate who supplied Geoffrey’s favourite brown bread ice-cream, along with their famous coffee and tea, Wensleydale Creamery from Hawes, who supplied the cheese course, oatcakes and chutneys,  Whittakers Chocolates of Skipton who supplied the after dinner mints, Hull based Aunt Bessie’s who donated the Yorkshire puddings, water from Huddersfield based Ice Valley water and local beer from Rudgate Brewery, just down the road near Thorpe Arch.  Philip & SallyAnn Hodson generously sponsored the wine and beer for the evening too.

Peter Sunderland, Chairman of the YAA also added “This really was an exceptional evening for the YAA.  To raise over £50,000 in a few small hours for the YAA is just phenomenal.  We really cannot thank Geoffrey and Rachael enough for organising the evening, and making us their beneficiary.  Geoffrey is a wonderful Patron of the Charity, and Rachael is an equally wonderful ambassador – we were privileged to have been involved in what was a most special evening.  We would also like to congratulate Geoffrey on the anniversary of his hundred first class centuries – a truly marvellous achievement.”

A total of over £50,000 was raised for the YAA from the evening.

Les Clark suffered serious chest and spinal injuries when a former military Alouette aircraft crashed at Breighton Aerodrome, near Selby, last July.

The accident features in Monday’s episode of Helicopter ER, the UKTV series which follows the life-saving work of Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Les, from Wheldrake, was a front seat passenger in the helicopter which was carrying four passengers when it crashed at a vintage aircraft weekend run by the Real Airplane Company at its Breighton base.

The decision to take the ten-minute flight was a last minute one near the end of the day. “It was just an unfortunate combination of small things which, singularly, would not be a problem,” said Les, an experienced fixed wing and commercial helicopter pilot.

“But, when they come together – like the holes in a Swiss cheese lining up – you have a problem. I just remember there was a loud crack and one second I was looking at the sun and the next at shadows with the ground coming up really quickly.”

Les and the helicopter pilot and good friend Nigel Feetham were both airlifted to hospital by Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Les was treated at Hull Royal Infirmary for injuries including a fractured sternum and three fractured vertebrae.

Mr Feetham, from Hedon, East Yorkshire, suffered similar injuries and was taken to Leeds General Infirmary where he seemed to be making a good recovery but tragically died eight days later.

Vintage aircraft enthusiast Les, 60, had to wear a spinal brace for three months and endured a painful recovery but is back flying the vintage aircraft he loves.

Breighton Airfield, a former Second World War heavy bomber base and cold-war nuclear missile launch site, is home to the classic aircraft collection of the Real Aeroplane Company and the Real Aeroplane Club, an active flying club whose members own and operate unusual, classic and ex-military aircraft.

Les, and other members of the Club, as well as family and the many friends of Mr Feetham, have so far raised more than £16,000 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance to thank the rapid response emergency service.

Les, a former car body repair shop owner, added: “The air ambulance is just a fantastic charity. You never know when you, a friend or family member might need them but when you do they are just brilliant.

“As they are not Government funded it’s really important that people support Yorkshire Air Ambulance. I cannot speak highly enough about the pilots, paramedics and doctors and what they do every day.”

Both Yorkshire Air Ambulances attended the crash scene and their role is highlighted on Helicopter ER at 9pm on Monday, September 11, on Really.

The episode also features a couple on a cycling holiday in the Yorkshire Dales who were catapulted 30ft after a collision with a van and a man who suffers a serious head injury following a fall from scaffolding.

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

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) serves 5million people across Yorkshire and carries out over 1,250 missions every year. The charity operates two, state-of-the-art Airbus H145 helicopters and needs to raise £12,000 every day to keep saving lives.