General

"I feel really thrilled to be involved with the Yorkshire Air Ambulance – a treasured charity saving lives everyday,” said Anita, who completed the design in three days using just a tiny scalpel, pencil and rubber.

"I love detail and telling a story and wanted to capture the grateful emotion we all feel when we see the Yorkshire Air Ambulance yellow helicopter.”

Anita’s stunning illustration has been reproduced on high quality notelets now on sale at just £5 for a pack of 10 cards and envelopes, with all proceeds going to the YAA. She added: “I hope people will buy them and help to save lives.”

Anita gained global recognition after creating a metre-high paper cut map showing the Yorkshire Stage One route of the 2014 Tour de France and she has since created three further stunningly intricate maps at her Dove Tree Art Studio in Harrogate.

She was chosen as the official artist of last year’s Tour de Yorkshire, is artist in residence at Hazelwood Castle and has exhibited all over the country.            

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) is an independent charity providing a life-saving rapid response emergency service to 5 million people across the whole of Yorkshire seven days a week, 365 days a year.

The charity, which currently flies around 1,000 missions a year, has just placed an order for two, state-of-the-art replacements for its current ageing aircraft – G-SASH and G-CEMS – that will take to the skies over Yorkshire later this year and in Spring 2017.

The latest generation Airbus H145 helicopters will give paramedics a much more modern medical fit-out to treat and transport often critically injured patients.

Helen Callear, YAA Regional Fundraising Manager, said: “We were absolutely thrilled to be approached by Anita with her stunning artwork and knew instantly that people would love the design. 

“It costs the charity £12,000 per day to keep our helicopters in the air and helping to save lives and the sale of the notecards will be a great help in helping us to raise these vital funds.

“We are also currently working on some other exciting projects with Anita, so watch this space for future announcements!”

If you would like to buy the notelets go to Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s website www.yaa.org.uk and visit their ‘shop’ section.  Alternatively they are available to buy from Anita’s studio and from YAA staff and volunteers across the region.

Anita works from her Dove Tree Art Studio and gallery is in situated in central Harrogate just near the Theatre on Back Granville Road. Here you can see her beautiful, intricate paper cuts and uplifting original paintings which she paints in water colour, acrylics and gouache. Limited Edition prints are also available, Pop in and see her at work or look online.ʉۻwww.anitabowerman.co.uk

As work to overhaul the market hall starts, Jean and her team have moved into a new larger area in the vaults of the historic building. 

“We’ve told all our existing customers but we want everyone to know that we have moved and to encourage people to come downstairs in the market and see us,” she said.

“It’s a big change and we are encouraging people to just come down the stairs to see us in our new home –  we have three units which have been combined into one large Yorkshire Air Ambulance area.

“Everything we sell is donated and we have such tremendous support in Scarborough from local people and visitors which we hope will continue.”

Scarborough Council and the University of Hull are partners in the transformation project, made possible thanks to a £2.7 million grant from the Coastal Communities Fund, administered by the Big Lottery Fund.

The historic market building is to get a complete makeover, during which a new mezzanine floor will be added, to create space for new shops, offices and a café.

The physical alterations will be joined by two online projects, designed to bring the market into the 21st Century.

Jean ran her own business at Scarborough Market for 40 years. But after only a few weeks of retirement in 2006, she took on an empty stall and started raising money for the charity she loves.

Over the years Jean has also attended hundreds of events, cheque presentations and talks helping to spread the word about the work of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) in Scarborough and the surrounding area.

To honour her amazing contribution, Jean received a special award last year from Yorkshire Air Ambulance chairman Peter Sunderland who said: “Jean Dixon has definitely become part of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance family.

“She has given almost 15 years to the charity. Her standing in the local community is pivotal to success of the market and her warming smile and enthusiasm never tires.”

Yorkshire Air Ambulance is an independent charity providing a life-saving rapid response emergency service to 5 million people across Yorkshire seven days a week, 365 days a year.

The charity needs to raise £12,000 a day and has just placed an order for two, state-of-the-art replacements for its current ageing aircraft – G-SASH and G-CEMS – that will take to the skies over Yorkshire later this year and in Spring 2017.

The latest generation Airbus H145 helicopters will give paramedics a much more modern medical fit-out to treat and transport often critically injured patients.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance has been a registered charity with Giveacar since 2011, a not-for-profit social enterprise that raises money for charity by accepting donations of old cars which are then scrapped or auctioned.

So far, the rapid response emergency charity has received over £4,500 from the donation of 32 cars to Giveacar. In the last year alone, the scheme has generated more than £1,500.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) Head of Fundraising Paul Gowland said: “This is a great idea allowing people who need to get rid of their old car to donate to their favourite charity without it costing them a penny.

“We are very grateful to those who have chosen to support us through Giveacar and hope the scheme continues to go from strength to strength.”

Giveacar has raised more than £2million for over 2,700 UK registered charities, through the donation of 20,000 cars since launching in 2010.

Patrick Church, Giveacar General Manager, said: “We are thrilled to be able to raise money for fantastic charities like Yorkshire Air Ambulance. Our aim is to help them tap into new resources, whilst also giving their supporters a new way to donate!’

Yorkshire Air Ambulance is an independent charity providing a life-saving rapid response emergency service to 5 million people across the whole of Yorkshire seven days a week, 365 days a year.

The charity, which currently flies around 1,000 missions a year, needs to raise £12,000 a day and has just placed an order for two, state-of-the-art replacements for its current ageing aircraft – G-SASH and G-CEMS – that will take to the skies over Yorkshire later this year and in Spring 2017.

The latest generation Airbus H145 helicopters will give paramedics a much more modern medical fit-out to treat and transport often critically injured patients.

Regional ŠKODA Retailer, D. M. Keith, has extended its support to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance for a ninth year by supplying two vehicles for the rapid response charity.

They have provided Kerry Garner, West & South Yorkshire regional fundraiser at the YAA with a new  ŠKODA Rapid.

D.M. Keith also provides an Award Winning ŠKODA Octavia Hatchback for Paul Gowland, Director of Fundraising at the YAA .

Both Paul and Kerry travels thousands of miles a year around the Yorkshire region working to raise the £12,000 a day the rapid response charity needs to keep its two helicopters flying “We cannot thank D. M. Keith enough for their continued support,” said Kerry. “Their generosity is a great help in helping us to achieve our income targets so the charity can continue saving lives across Yorkshire.”

D. M. Keith are the largest ŠKODA Retailer Group in the UK, with branches in Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Huddersfield, York and Hull.

Director Angus Keith said: “D. M. Keith are proud to be associated with such a worthwhile charity and we wanted to continue our strong partnership with the Yorkshire Air Ambulance by providing them with the much needed ŠKODA vehicles for another year.  

“Family is at the heart of our business, and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance literally saves the lives of many individuals and families on a daily basis.”

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) is an independent rapid response charity, which has carried more than 6,500 people in its 15 -year history. It needs to raise £12,000 each day to keep its two helicopters in the air and maintained – equivalent to £4.4 million each year.

Without any direct government funding, the only help the charity receives is through the secondment of its paramedics from the Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

Staff at the Skipton Foodhall have supported the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) since 2011, when it was first chosen as the store’s Charity of the Year, as part of its Plan A commitments, M&S’ pledge to become the world’s most sustainable major retailer.

Since then, volunteers from the YAA have worked with the store regularly to promote the charity and to organise regular bag packs. M&S Skipton Foodhall staff also have organised bake sales and showed their support by wearing bright yellow for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s ‘Yellow Yorkshire’ campaign.

In a bid to boost the fundraising total even further, shoppers are being encouraged to come along to support staff and volunteers from the Yorkshire Air Ambulance at a bag pack in the Skipton store between 10am and 2pm on the 25th March.

Helen Gowans, Yorkshire Air Ambulance North Yorkshire Fundraising Manager, said: “We have been truly amazed by the amount of support we have received from staff and customers alike at M&S Simply Food in Skipton. To keep both of Yorkshire’s Air Ambulances maintained and in the air it costs the Charity £12,000 every single day. As an independent Charity we rely solely on the generosity of organisations and individuals such as M&S and their customers to enable us to keep saving lives across the region.

Alex Nicholson, M&S Skipton Store Manager, said: “The Yorkshire Air Ambulance provides an invaluable service for the local community and relies heavily on donations and support, which is why we were so keen to support the cause. That’s why we have voted to keep the Yorkshire Air Ambulance our Charity of the Year since 2011 and we hope to continue to support them for many more years to come.” 

The leading concrete and natural stone manufacturer and building materials supplier is providing storage and logistical support as well as raising vital funds for the rapid response emergency service.

Myers vehicles will be branded with the Yorkshire Air Ambulance logo and employees will proudly wear the charity’s logo on their hi-vis safety clothing.

The company, which has 14 branches throughout the region, employs around 350 people and Managing Director James Berry said: “As a Yorkshire-based business employing local people, we are delighted to be able to help such a vital service as Yorkshire Air Ambulance, which is close to the hearts of many of our team members. 

“Myers Group is committed to delivering a positive impact to the communities in which we operate and we are honoured to be partnering with such a remarkable charity and look forward to developing our relationship. 

“Our teams throughout the Yorkshire region will be undertaking a range of fundraising activities throughout the year as well as promoting awareness of the charity and we will be encouraging our customers to get involved with fundraising activities at their local branch.

“The charity relies on donations and we’re sure that our customers will want to join with us in supporting and raising vital funds for this very worthwhile cause in Yorkshire” 

Yorkshire Air Ambulance is an independent charity providing a life-saving rapid response emergency service to 5 million people across the whole of Yorkshire seven days a week, 365 days a year.

The charity, which currently flies around 1,000 missions a year, needs to raise £12,000 a day and has just placed an order for two, state-of-the-art replacements for its current ageing aircraft – G-SASH and G-CEMS – that will take to the skies over Yorkshire later this year and in Spring 2017.

The latest generation Airbus H145 helicopters will give paramedics a much more modern medical fit-out to treat and transport often critically injured patients.

Paul Gowland, fundraising manager for Yorkshire Air Ambulance said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have the support of a family-run business in the heart of our community whose company values match those of the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

“We look forward to working with the teams across the region to raise the vital funds needed to enable the continuation of this life-saving service.”

Caption: Yorkshire Air Ambulance Fundraising Director Paul Gowland with Myers Group Directors Katie Berry and James Berry.

To celebrate this donation, four Society colleagues visited the charity’s airbase on the Nostell Priory Estate, near Wakefield to get an insight into the work undertaken by the team.

Kevin Mowles, Head of Business Support at Leeds Building Society, said: “The visit to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance was inspiring. It is incredible to get an insight into the critical work undertaken by such a wonderful team of dedicated professionals. The scale of their responsibilities is eye watering and so heavily dependent upon charitable donations.

“The presence of this service makes such a difference to life threatening trauma care. It’s a day that will stay with me forever. I cannot commend this service and these people enough.”

Kerry Garner, Regional Fundraising Manager at Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said: “We would like to sincerely thank Leeds Building Society’s Colleague Charity Group* for choosing to support us and raising such a fantastic amount of money.

“They seem to be only too aware of the very real necessity of our service and we are grateful for their support. It costs £12,000 per day to keep both of our helicopters in the air and helping to save lives. There is no doubt that Leeds Building Society’s generous support will help us to save lives and guarantee the service into the future.”

She was airlifted within minutes to Leeds General Infirmary where surgeons had to amputate her left leg below the knee. Her right leg was also badly damaged and Rose is now wheelchair bound.

“Until the accident Mum was completely independent and walked into Knaresborough most days,” said her daughter Maggie Maltby. “A lot of people know her, she’s a bit of a character.

“Doctors did not expect Mum to survive but after her second major operation they realised they were not dealing with a typical 94-year-old.

“She is just amazing but without Yorkshire Air Ambulance she would not be here. She needed surgery as soon as possible and a journey by land ambulance to Leeds would have taken around 45 minutes.

“The crew were brilliant and got her where she needed to be in minutes. We are just so grateful.”

Rose has six children, 12 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Her large, close-knit family are now determined to raise as much money as possible for the rapid response emergency charity. They have set a target of £12,000 – the amount it costs every day to keep Yorkshire’s two air ambulances flying. 

Maggie and two of Rose’s grandchildren, Ellie and Sarah Priest from Brighton, will be doing a sponsored skydive this weekend (February 27). The family are also planning to do the Three Peaks Challenge in April.

Maggie, 65, from Knaresborough, said: “The three of us are terrified about doing the jump but we want to raise as much money as possible. I think, as a family, the fundraising is really important as it ensures something good comes out of what has been such an horrendous time.”

Yorkshire Air Ambulance serves 5million people across Yorkshire and has carried more than 6,400 people in its 15-year history.

The charity has just placed an order for two, brand new state-of-the-art replacements for its current ageing aircraft – G-SASH and G-CEMS – that will take to the skies over Yorkshire later this year and in Spring 2017.

The latest generation Airbus H145 helicopters will be night capable and give paramedics a much more modern medical fit-out to treat and transport often critically injured patients.

To sponsor Maggie and her nieces on their skydive go to their JustGiving page www.justgiving.com/Ellie-Priest2

Caption: Brave pensioner Rose Smiles meets the Yorkshire Air Ambulance paramedics Tony Wilkes (left) and Paul Holmes who helped save her life after a road accident.

The rapid response emergency service announced the replacement of their oldest MD902 Explorer aircraft, G-SASH in the summer of 2015, however plans for a second Airbus H145 model to replace the other MD902 Explorer G-CEMS have been brought forward.

The announcement comes after the YAA Chairman Peter Sunderland and Vice-Chairman Bruce Burns, recently visited the Airbus factory in Munich to see first-hand the progress of their first new helicopter.  It was at this visit that the purchase of a second new helicopter was negotiated.

Peter Sunderland, Chairman commented “Our visit to Munich proved a great success.  We were fortunate enough to be able to see our first new helicopter on the production line and the progress it is making.  We are very much looking forward to welcoming our new helicopter to the UK later this year to provide the people of Yorkshire with an even better state of the art service.”

Mr Sunderland continues “As part of our Vision of the Future strategy, our long term plan had always been to eventually replace G-CEMS as well as G-SASH.  However, due to diligent cost control, budgeting and the generosity of the people of Yorkshire we have been able to bring forward these replacement plans.  And we are delighted to announce that following discussions with Airbus on our recent trip to their factory, we have confirmed the order of a second H145 model.”

The second new helicopter, which is expected to cost around £5.7 million, is expected to join the YAA in the spring of 2017.   

Mr Burns added “We are beginning to see growing number of maintenance issues with our current ageing MD902 Explorers as well as encountering mounting issues with obtaining spare parts.  This is resulting in ever increasing costs of maintaining them both. Over the last couple of years we have encountered record spending on maintenance and this has been one of the major contributing factors in our decision to purchase not just one new helicopter, but two.  Both of the new H145’s will also be night capable enabling us to operate for longer hours which will be a massive benefit for the people of Yorkshire.

After long discussions with Airbus, it was apparent that it would be more cost effective for us to coincide the order of the new helicopters rather than waiting sometime between them.  It also means that we will have a reduced time where we have to operate a mixed fleet.”

Upon its arrival, it will be based from the Charity’s Northern Airbase at RAF Topcliffe, near Thirsk.

The Airbus H145 will offer the YAA an enhanced helicopter experience, providing the latest in flight technology and efficiency.  It is currently used by the police, military and other air rescue services around the world.

Mr Sunderland added “We are extremely excited to welcome the replacement H145’s to our fleet.  The Charity are expecting to see long-term cost savings with the new helicopters as they will be much more operationally reliable.  It has been a long process planning for the replacement of our fleet however we are confident that we have made the right decision for the people of Yorkshire, enabling us to give them the best possible service.”

Medically, it will offer YAA paramedics and doctors a larger cabin area to treat patients in flight, and will carry the latest medical equipment.

The Charity are funding the purchase of the H145’s through prudent, planned savings, grants, careful budgeting and general donations from the public. 

Mr Sunderland continues “The Charity have been financially planning for the replacement of the helicopters for a number of years now, however  the additional costs relating to the purchase of the second helicopter are significant.  Therefore, once again the Charity is very much hoping that the generous people of Yorkshire will continue to support the YAA and our Vision of the Future project.   With their support, we will see two state of the art air ambulances serving the people of Yorkshire for the next 25 years.”

The two current YAA helicopters, MD902 Explorers G-SASH and G-CEMS will have a phased retirement once the new H145’s are in operation and will eventually be sold to aid the replacement costs.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) still needs to raise £12,000 every single day to keep its two helicopters flying. The charity serves 5million people across Yorkshire, attending on average, more than 1,000 incidents a year – around three every day.

The four working mums from Yorkshire are one of 26 teams taking part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge, which could see them become the oldest all female crew to row across any ocean.

The team – Janette Benaddi, Frances Davies, Niki Doeg and Helen Butters – are now around 1,400 nautical miles into their journey from La Gomera, in the Canary Islands, to the Caribbean island of Antigua and, despite a number of setbacks, they remain in good spirits.

Around three weeks into their journey, the quartet encountered a rare Atlantic hurricane – Hurricane Alex – and were forced to ride out the storm from the safety of their cramped cabins while they deployed their para anchor to stabilise the boat and stop them from being blown off course.

They have also had to contend with power failure, which has affected their autopilot, GPS tracking systems, and water maker, leaving them steering by hand using a compass and manually converting sea water into drinking water.

Helen Butters, whose daughter Lucy celebrated her 16th birthday yesterday (Wednesday, January 20) said:

“We are all really happy to have passed the half way mark and we are all still in really high spirits. We are basically just rowing, eating and sleeping. It is hard, especially not seeing our families, but we knew it was going to be tough.

“The scariest bit was during the hurricane when the rain was lashing down, there were really high winds and thunder and lightning. For three to four days we didn’t move and were confined to the cabins – with two people in each one you really can’t move in them.

“But we have also been visited by a whale which stayed with us for two hours, and have rowed with a pod of 15 to 20 dolphins which was absolutely amazing.

“I suffered with really bad seasickness during the first week, and Niki has a bad infection in her fingernail and bruised coccyx after falling over, but we haven’t missed a shift and are still in good spirits.

“We have all been inspired by each other, and are so much closer than we were before. We really can’t wait to see our families in Antigua and are really going to appreciate things a bit more – I think in that sense it will change our lives.

“We have been blown away by the support we have had from our families and friends, and complete strangers, so we want to say thank you to everyone.

“We really want to raise as much money as possible for our two charities – Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Maggie’s.”

Paul Gowland, Yorkshire Air Ambulance Director of Fundraising, said:

“We are absolutely in awe of the Yorkshire Rows ladies and are eagerly following their fantastic progress! 

"They have done so well already to have made it to the half way point and we wish them all the luck in the world for the final half of their challenge. 

"It’s a real honour for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance to have been chosen as one of two charities to benefit from the Yorkshire Rows challenge and not only are we are grateful to Janette, Helen, Niki and Frances but we are grateful to everyone that has donated to our cause through the ladies challenge.”

Laura Lee, Maggie’s Chief Executive, added:

“I’d like to say huge congratulations to the Yorkshire Rows team for reaching half way, a real milestone and achievement in itself!

“I’d also like to thank them for choosing to support Maggie’s Yorkshire through this incredible challenge.

“The team’s fundraising efforts will make a huge difference in helping us to build the new Maggie’s Centre at St James’s University Hospital which will bring vital support to people with cancer and their family and friends across the region. We wish them the best of luck for the final stretch of their challenge.”

To view the team’s blog visit blog.mailasail.com/yr

To follow the race live, visit www.taliskerwhiskyatlanticchallenge.com/race-tracker

To donate to Maggie’s text ROWS88 with the amount to 70070, or for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance text ROWS91 to the same number.

For more information on the team visit www.yorkshirerows.com, www.facebook.com/yorkshirerows2015 or follow @YorkshireRows Twitter.

John sustained serious, life threatening injuries last September when he crashed during the final sprint of a race at Dishforth Airfield, North Yorkshire.

The 53-year-old, a founding member and secretary of the Alba Rosa Cycling Club, suffered a cardiac arrest at the scene. He was stabilised by Yorkshire Air Ambulance paramedics before being airlifted within minutes to the specialised trauma centre at Leeds General Infirmary.

John suffered a broken back and neck, two punctured lungs and broken ribs in the horrific collision and spent nearly a month in the LGI before transferring to the Yorkshire Regional Spinal Injuries Unit at Pinderfields Hospital.

The Leeds-based Alba Rosa Club organised an affiliated, eight-hour team cycling relay event at Dishforth Airfield last month to say thank you to the rapid response emergency service.

Nearly 100 people took part, in terrible weather conditions, cycling over 2,500 miles and helping to raise over £3,000 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Club member James Sutherland, managing director at Dortech Architectural Systems, helped organise the charity relay which may now become an annual event.

He said: “We were all just so shocked that John should have such a serious accident. He is so well known and liked in the Leeds cycling community and we really wanted to do something to raise money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

“We thought a few might turn up but, because of who John is, so many people and local companies wanted to help and support the event.”

John, a father-of-four from Guiseley, has had to learn how to do everything again – from talking and eating to walking and dressing himself.

His wife Andrea, herself a nurse who looks after spinal cord injuries in the community, said: “If it had not been for Yorkshire Air Ambulance stabilising John at the scene and then getting him to the LGI so quickly, it would have been a very different outcome.

“They saved his life and I cannot thank them enough for what they did that day. Without them I would not have my husband and the children would not have their father.”

John was able to spend Christmas at home with his family before returning to Pinderfields. It is hoped the weaving manager for Abraham Moon and Sons in Guiseley will be discharged at the end of January.

There will then follow a long rehabilitation programme and Andrea added: “It will be a long road to recovery but John has already made extraordinary progress with the injuries he had.

“The only thing he can’t move very well is his right arm, but we hope that will come back in time. It might never be 100 per cent but he is alive.”

Yorkshire Air Ambulance relies on the generosity of individuals and organisations across the region. The charity has to raise £12,000 every day – equivalent to £4.4 million a year – to keeps its two aircraft flying.