General

Mr Osbourne made the funding pledge during a visit to Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s s air base at Nostell Priory, near Wakefield, with longstanding charity supporter and cricketing legend Geoffrey Boycott who asked the Government for help.

Following the completion of a detailed review of their evolving needs for service delivery over the next 25 years, Yorkshire Air Ambulance has now placed an order for a latest generation Airbus H145 helicopter to replace the older of its two aircraft, G-SASH.

The £1 million Government donation, from fines levied on banks, will contribute substantially towards the new £5.7 million helicopter, which should arrive by September 2016 and will fly out of Nostell.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance Chairman Peter Sunderland, said: “We remain totally dependent on the generosity of the fantastic people of Yorkshire. 

“However, the phenomenal donation we have received today from The Chancellor of the Exchequer, will allow us to work towards fulfilling our mission to provide Yorkshire with the highest quality rapid response emergency service – and I express my sincere thanks for this exceptional contribution.

“In planning for the future we have been building up our reserves to ensure we can continue to develop and expand our life saving service by having the most up-to-date aircraft.

“G-SASH has been a familiar sight over the skies of Yorkshire for the last 14 years. But in recent years, maintenance costs have escalated and spare parts have become increasingly difficult to find. Now is the right time to replace her.”

The new helicopter offers exceptional flight performance and will have significantly lower operating and maintenance costs. The Airbus H145 is night capable and is used by military, police and air rescue services around the world – including the Metropolitan Police.

It has a larger cabin and provides paramedics with a much more modern medical fit-out to treat and transport often critically injured patients.

Mr Sunderland added: “Replacing G-SASH will ensure the continuation of a state-of-the-art air ambulance service for the people of Yorkshire for the next 25 years.”

Yorkshire Air Ambulance is a rapid response emergency service that serves five million people across Yorkshire, operating from air bases at Nostell and RAF Topcliffe, near Thirsk.

It attends more than 1,000 incidents a year, on average, and the charity needs to raise £12,000 every single day to keep its two existing helicopters maintained and flying.  

George Osborne, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said: "Geoffrey Boycott asked the government for support, and I am delighted to able to donate £1m towards funding a new helicopter for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.  

“It's a brilliant charity that saves lives across Yorkshire, a county very much at the heart of the Northern Powerhouse.

"This funding – and the £10 million the government has donated to Air Ambulances across the country in the past year – comes from fines levied on banks, and it's only right that funds from those who have demonstrated the worst values should go to those, like the dedicated and skilled air ambulance crews and their supporters who demonstrate the best of British values on a daily basis."

The 24 year-old graduated last year from the Royal Agricultural University at Cirencester with a degree in international equine and agricultural business management.

The keen British eventer, who has three horses, worked as a sales executive for the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate and Redworth Hall in County Durham before joining Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

“I am a keen horse rider and compete regularly so I know of many people who have had to be rescued by air ambulance, and have also seen the helicopter land at events,” said Victoria, from Harrogate.

“Yorkshire people are so great at supporting a Yorkshire cause and especially in the more rural areas. They are so aware of the valuable work the air ambulance does for their communities and I have been amazed by how much support and respect there is for the charity.”

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) needs to raise £12,000 every single day to keep its two helicopters flying. The rapid response emergency service attends more than 1,000 incidents a year.

YAA serves five million people across Yorkshire and has so far airlifted more than 6,200 people.

Victoria is working with the North Yorkshire team to raise awareness about the charity by giving talks, supporting people and organisations to hold fund raising activities, attending events and cheque presentations. 

Photo caption: Victoria Muirhead who has been appointed North Yorkshire Community Fundraiser by Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

The Halifax-based club was following in the footsteps of past player and former England international Charlie Hodgson, who is a Yorkshire Air Ambulance patron.

Old Brods members held a range of fundraising events including golf days, charity matches, collection tins on the bar and donated proceeds from this Summer’s President’s Ball.

Several players also completed the Great Glen Challenge, climbing Ben Nevis and kayaking across Scotland over three days.

Player and club committee member James Ogden said: “Several members have been present when injured players have been airlifted from pitches during matches.

“It is an essential service for the region and the whole club has been involved in supporting them over the past two years. We had a target of £10,000 and we’re delighted to have topped that.”

Yorkshire Air Ambulance has needs to raise £12,000 every single day to keep its two helicopters flying.

The charity serves five million people across Yorkshire, attending on average, more than 1,000 incidents a year.

Kerry Garner, YAA Regional Fundraising Manager for West and South Yorkshire, said: “We are so grateful to the fantastic members of Old Brods.

“They have not only raised a huge amount of money for us but helped to raise awareness of the work we do by, for example, displaying the YAA logo on the first team playing shirts and advertising the charity at their Woodhead Park ground.”

In a new initiative, Yorkshire Air Ambulance and Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust have joined forces to place clothes recycling bins at some of the region’s ambulance stations to generate income to help fund YAA operation and provide defibrillators in local communities.

Since launching its recycling scheme 10 years ago, with partner the BIU Group, Yorkshire Air Ambulance has received a staggering £2.5 million from donations of unwanted clothes, shoes and household textiles.

The rapid response emergency charity has over 250 recycling textile banks at household waste sites, supermarkets and car parks across Yorkshire.

It has now teamed up with the Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust’s Charitable Fund to share the proceeds from a further 19 textile banks located at ambulance stations across the county.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance Partnerships Manager Katie Collinson said: “We have a brilliant relationship with our recycling partners Bag It Up, who give us a percentage of all the recycled material we collect which is worth around £200,000 as a donation each year!

“We are looking forward to developing our partnership with the charitable arm of Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust with these additional textile banks and generating a further, valuable income stream.”

Yorkshire Air Ambulance, which provides a rapid response emergency service to 5 million people, needs to raise £12,000 every single day to keep its two helicopters flying.

The rapid response emergency service attends more than 1,000 incidents a year and has so far airlifted more than 6,200 people to hospital.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust’s Charitable Fund receives donations and legacies from grateful patients, members of the public and fundraising initiatives throughout Yorkshire.

Erfana Mahmood, Non-Executive Director at Yorkshire Ambulance Service Trust and Chair of the Trust’s Charitable Fund Committee, said: “As operational partners we take every opportunity to work together with colleagues at YAA. 

“This joint initiative is an extension of YAA’s already successful scheme and we are looking forward to being able to use the income from the clothes banks based at some of our ambulance stations to fund more community Public Access Defibrillators (cPADs) across Yorkshire and the Humber and help to save more lives.”

The 19 new sites are located at ambulance stations from Bainbridge in North Yorkshire to Wath upon Dearne in the South, from Hornsea in the East to Huddersfield in West Yorkshire.

You can find out where your nearest bank is by either going to the YAA website (www.yaa.org.uk) or by calling 01422 237900.

She has been appointed to the charity’s West Yorkshire team covering the Wakefield, Calderdale and Kirklees areas.

The 31-year-old previously spent seven years as a Director of the family hospital and healthcare planning consultancy, Planning For Health Ltd. She specialised in healthcare facilities planning in developing countries.

Alex from Crossgates, Leeds, is also a member and immediate past president of the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Leeds and has done voluntary work with a range of charities.

“I started doing voluntary work with JCI and realised that the charity sector was where I wanted to be,” she said.

“I just needed to find the right job and I’m delighted to be working for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance. I’d seen the aircraft many times and watched the TV series Helicopter Heroes so knew what a fantastic job the charity does.

“But I have been so overwhelmed by the positive reaction of so many people. The air ambulance inspires so much affection, respect and support and it’s a pleasure to be part of the organisation.”

Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) needs to raise £12,000 every single day to keep its two helicopters flying. The rapid response emergency service attends more than 1,000 incidents a year – on average, around three a day.

YAA serves five million people across Yorkshire and has so far airlifted more than 6,200 people.

Alex works to raise awareness about the work of the charity by giving talks, supports people and organisations holding fund raising activities, attends events and cheque presentations. 

Photo caption: Alex Byers who has been appointed West Yorkshire Community Fundraiser for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

A student midwife who had to learn to walk again after a horror smash is proving she’s a tough mudder to thank the Yorkshire Air Ambulance paramedics who helped save her life.

Hayley Morris was driving home after a nightshift at Bradford Royal Infirmary – her final hospital placement before qualifying as a midwife – when the accident happened in July 2013.

The 30 year-old was just two minutes from home when her car was rammed into the path of a lorry by another vehicle that drove through a red light.

“My world was turned upside down after the accident,” said Hayley, who suffered a severe brain injury.

“Fortunately the Yorkshire Air Ambulance got to me quickly and then got me to the specialists at Leeds General Infirmary in minutes. I was given a second chance thanks to them – my Angels of the sky.”

Hayley, who suffered post-traumatic amnesia, cannot remember the impact or the first of her three weeks spent in hospital being treated for a bleed on the brain.

The crash caused nerve damage down her right side and meant Hayley had to learn to walk and write again.

But 11 months later she joined family and friends walking the Three Yorkshire Peaks which raised over £2,000 for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

And, on August 1 she hopes to raise more money for the rapid response emergency charity by completing the Yorkshire Tough Mudder event at Broughton Hall, near Skipton.

Hayley, who retook her final year and is now a qualified midwife, said: “The recovery was really hard and it was only my love for midwifery that gave me the motivation to get better.

“I’ve had such fantastic support and help from my family and friends and many health professionals – from neurologists to physiotherapists.

“They were able to do all this thanks to the life-saving charity that will always hold a special place in my heart.”

The YAA is a rapid response emergency service serving 5million people across Yorkshire, attending on average, more than 1,000 incidents a year – around three every day.

The independent charity needs to raise £12,000 each day to keep its two helicopters in the air, which is equivalent to £4.4 million a year.

You can support Hayley through her Just Giving Page at https://www.justgiving.com/TeamMozza/

185 fans walked the 19 miles from Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Air Support Unit at Nostell Priory in Wakefield to the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday 21 March in aid of the unique fundraising campaign, which benefits both the Huddersfield Town Academy and the Yorkshire Air Ambulance charity.

Walkers included Chairman Dean Hoyle, Commercial Director Sean Jarvis, Academy Manager Mark Lillis and Club Ambassador Andy Booth.The event, which was sponsored by HTAFC club partners Thornhill Dental Surgery, was the fourth sponsored walk which the Club has organised, with the previous three events raising a combined £60,000 for the campaign.

Andy and James Tattersfield of Thornhill Dental Surgery joined HTAFC Club Ambassador Andy Booth and Supporter Partnerships Manager Robyn Deegan and YAA Partnerships Manager Katie Collinson for the photo at PPG Canalside.

Robyn commented:   “It’s great that the latest Walk for Pounds event has generated such a terrific amount of funds for the Keep It Up campaign, taking the total for the event past £80,000 over the course of four seasons. Thanks and well done to everyone who took part and helped us reach the sponsorship total.

“Six years after the launch of ‘Keep It Up’ in 2009, the success of this event shows that Huddersfield Town fans are being as generous as ever towards the cause. “On behalf of the Club I would also like to thank Andrew, James and the rest of the team at Thornhill Dental Surgery for their sponsorship and for hosting a feed stop during the event!”

Andy from Thornhill Dental Surgery added:   “We’re delighted that Walk for Pounds 2015 has raised so much money for the ‘Keep It Up’ campaign. “The YAA is a special organisation because it gives people hope in desperate times. It is a cause that the practice team has a personal gratitude to for assistance they have given to close friends and family members in times of need.

“We are delighted that we were able to be part of such a successful event and wish the campaign long and continued success!”   Any individuals who still have funds to hand in for the ‘Keep It Up’ campaign in 2014/15 must do so by Tuesday 30 June.

Cheques made payable to the ‘Keep It Up’ campaign can be posted FAO Robyn Deegan at PPG Canalside, 509 Leeds Road, Huddersfield, HD2 1YJ. Cash can be handed in at the John Smith’s Stadium Ticket Office.

A binman blinded in a horrific accident is aiming to walk five miles to raise money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

Andrew Sedman, from Norton, suffered multiple life threatening injuries last November when the bin lorry he was working on reversed into him.

The 54-year-old fell under the wagon, miraculously escaping being crushed under its wheels. But the impact punctured both of Andrew’s lungs, caved in the right side of his chest breaking ribs, a collar bone and shoulder blade as well as damaging his liver and spleen.

Tragically, Andrew also lost so much blood, the lack of oxygen to his optic nerves has left the father-of-two permanently blind in both eyes.

“I work in recycling doing different jobs and that day I was on the bins in Malton,” said Ryedale District Council worker Andrew from Parliament Street.

“I don’t really remember much about the accident, but I was at the rear of the wagon when the driver reversed into me and I fell underneath. The next thing I remember was a week-and-a-half later in hospital.”

Andrew was flown to the specialist trauma centre at James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough in minutes.

“If it was not for the air ambulance I don’t think I would be here today,” he added. “I had life threatening injuries and I’m pretty sure I would not have made it if I had gone by road ambulance.”

Andrew, his two daughters, and other family and friends are planning a five-mile sponsored walk next month in Dalby Forest.

Andrew, a keen squash player, added: “The accident has just completely changed my life. I’m lucky that one of my daughters lives at home with me and I’m coping the best I can but it’s hard.

“I try not to think about all that I have lost with my sight. I’m doing as much as I can for myself and am on the waiting list for a Guide Dog which will help.”

Andrew, who has ten metal plates holding the right side of his chest together, spent nearly five weeks at James Cook, before being transferred to York District Hospital.

His devastated daughters Suzanne, 24, and 22-year-old Erica are also coming to terms with the accident and their Dad’s blindness.

“We did not realise he had lost his sight until he was moved from intensive care to the high dependency unit,” said Suzanne from Hawthorn Avenue, Malton.

“It was a huge shock for us all. Dad has been amazing, but it’s so hard.

“I watch all the TV medical programmes, including Helicopter Heroes about the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, but I never thought that one day we would need their services.

“If they had not been there then my Dad would not have made it to hospital alive where the amazing doctors and nursing staff have done so much. That’s why we all wanted to do something to say thank you.”

The YAA is a rapid response emergency service serving five million people across Yorkshire. The independent charity needs to raise £12,000 each day to keep its two helicopters in the air, which is equivalent to £4.4 million a year.

If you would like to support Andrew’s sponsored walk please go to https://www.justgiving.com/Suzanne-Sedman/

Photo Caption:  Andrew Sedman with his daughters Suzanne (left) and Erica with Suzanne’s partner Mathew Binge who are taking part in a sponsored walk for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

He is part of a 12-strong group climbing the 12 highest peaks in the UK and Ireland in 12 months to raise money for the rapid response emergency charity.

Last June Rob’s then five year-old daughter Georgia suffered serious head injuries after falling from her horse following a riding lesson near the family home in Steeton, near Keighley.

Luckily Mum Danielle, a paediatric Sister, was on hand to provide immediate first aid. Yorkshire Air Ambulance paramedics were soon on scene, and Georgia was flown in minutes to the specialist trauma team at Leeds General Infirmary.

“She had just had a lesson and then something spooked the horse and Georgia’s foot got caught in the stirrup and she got dragged along,” said Rob, 42.

“Her head repeatedly hit the ground and she suffered an open skull fracture and lots of tiny repetitive bleeds in the brain.

“She was put into an induced coma and the first couple of days were touch and go. But because she got immediate first aid from my wife, and the air ambulance got her to the right hospital in minutes, she made it.”

Georgia was in hospital for over a week, but has thankfully fully recovered. Grateful Rob added: “It doesn’t bear thinking about what would have happened if Danielle had not been there and she had had to make the journey to hospital by road ambulance.”

Rob, managing director of credit control agency Corporate and Commercial, is a keen walker and has now teamed up with other local businessmen to raise money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

They have so far scaled 8 out of the 12 highest peaks – many in appalling weather – and crossed off Scotland’s Ben Nevis last weekend.

The idea for the challenge came from Steve Burles, who runs Keighley digital marketing agency Puddle Digital. He added: “I love the outdoors and spend a lot of time touring on my motorbike.

“I constantly see the invaluable job the Yorkshire Air Ambulance delivers, the difference they make to saving lives, so we were delighted to team up with Rob to raise money for such a worthy cause.”

The YAA is an independent charity providing a rapid response emergency service to five million people across Yorkshire, attending over 1,000 missions a year – an average of three a day.

The charity needs to raise £12,000 each day to keep its two helicopters flying, equivalent to £4.4m a year.

Rob, Steve and their fellow climbers are hoping to complete their marathon mountain challenge by scaling Snowden in Wales, Esk Pike and England’s highest Scafell Pike in the Lake District and Ireland’s Carrauntoohill before the end of October.

To sponsor them go to www.justgiving.com/teams/12×12

The rapid response emergency charity has worked closely with Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust to develop the intensive, three-week technical crew members course.

The intake, all experienced paramedics with Yorkshire Ambulance Service, was chosen for the two-year secondment following a rigorous selection process.

New recruit Paul Holmes said: “The first day’s training was underwater escape from a helicopter and it’s been an intense learning curve, but just fantastic.”

The programme also includes mountain and swift water rescue, navigation, air safety, advanced clinical skills and crew resource management.

Pete Vallance, Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) Clinical Operations Manager, said: “This is the first year we have provided a full, in-house technical crew members course encompassing both medical and aviation aspects.

“A lot of work has gone into this from both ourselves and Yorkshire Ambulance Service to ensure we have provided training of the highest calibre.”

Ian Walton, Associate Director of Resilience and Special Services at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said: “As partners we take every opportunity to work together with colleagues at YAA.  Enhanced training packages and secondment opportunities for our paramedics will further enhance this vital service for the benefit of patients.”

Previously new paramedics joined the YAA on a part-time basis over three years. But this latest cohort is also the first that has been seconded full-time for two years.

Pete Vallance explained: “Because of the advancements and requirements of aircrew paramedics, we decided it would be much better to have people with us for two years on a full-time attachment.

“We found that paramedics spending a month with us and then going back on the road for a month meant they were constantly playing catch-up.

“Now, even if they are not flying, the aircrew paramedics are manning the air desk and it is a better experience for them, and a more effective way of developing their skills during their time with us.”

The YAA is a rapid response emergency service serving 5million people across Yorkshire. It has transported over 6,000 critically ill or injured people to hospital in its 14-year history.

Pete added: “The workload of land crews is much greater but the aircrew paramedics are primarily dealing with the really critical end of the patient care cycle; the most life threatening injuries that need immediate attention and rapid transport to hospital.

“As well as developing their clinical skills, the paramedics learn a lot about working together as a team in often highly pressurised working conditions.”

The YAA is an independent charity and needs to raise £12,000 each day to keep its two helicopters in the air – equivalent to £4.4 million a year.

Without any direct government funding, the only help the charity receives is through the secondment of their 14 paramedics from Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

In order to hit its target, Nexus is arranging a series of fundraising initiatives throughout the year, with activities including a Yorkshire Dales Three Peaks Challenge on 15 August which will see Nexus staff walk the gruelling 23-mile trail that includes Pen-y-ghent, Whernside and Ingleborough. Leading from the front, Nexus CEO, David Brennan will also cycle from Harrogate to Scarborough and back on a sponsored 160-mile bike ride in July.  

Since forming the partnership, eight Nexus employees have visited the Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Air Support Unit at Nostell Priory, enabling them to receive greater insight into how the service operates.

David Brennan, Chief Executive at Nexus says: “As a Yorkshire-based business we are committed to supporting this vital service, which saves lives across our region every day and is close to the hearts of so many of our customers, colleagues and partners.

“Like the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, we aim to deliver the fastest response times and are continually innovating. These shared values bring real synergy to our partnership.”  

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance is an independent charity providing a rapid response emergency service to five million people across Yorkshire – England’s largest region. It needs to raise £12,000 each day to keep its two helicopters flying. The Yorkshire Air Ambulance attends over 1,000 missions each year which is an average three missions every single day.

Kerry Garner, Yorkshire Air Ambulance Regional Fundraising Manager for West and South Yorkshire added: “As an independent charity we rely solely on the generosity of the public and kind donations from businesses to ensure our helicopters and medical teams can continue saving lives across Yorkshire.

“Many of the incidents we attend occur on our region’s motorways and roads, so to have Nexus, a corporate vehicle rental provider, lending its support to this vital service is very pertinent. We are incredibly grateful to the Nexus team for their support and look forward to building a strong relationship with them as their fundraising efforts continue.” 

For the 48-year-old has won a new Suzuki Swift car – just days after being forced to scrap his old car and facing weeks of saving up to ‘buy another old banger’.

David, a press setter at Rosti McKechnie in Pickering, bought the ticket at last year’s Wartime Weekend in the town and did not give it a second thought.

“The Yorkshire Air Ambulance was there and I got my grandson a ticket for their pick-a-stick game and he won a fluffy helicopter.

“I bought a couple of raffle tickets to support the charity and never thought anything more about it but someone must have been looking down on us that day.

“It could not have come at a better time as I had to scrap my old car and we were going to be without one for a while until we could save up enough to replace it.”  

The raffle was organized by Hunmanby driving instructor Rob Scott as part of a major fundraising drive for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA).

Rob and his team also converted a 15-year-old Mercedes Vito Minibus into the distinctive yellow YAA helicopter – complete with rotor blades! – to compete in last month’s Benidorm or Bust rally from Blackpool to Benidorm.

Their ‘Helivan’ won best car out of 209 vehicles that completed the 3,756-mile journey, taking part in Top Gear-style challenges along the way.

“We were absolutely delighted to win the best car trophy and kept being told we had the most famous van in Europe!,” said Rob.

He was joined on the start-line by three other cars raising money for the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, and the rally and raffle have so far raised just over £20,000 for the rapid response emergency charity.

David, of Willow Gate, picked up his new Suzuki Swift from Scarborough’s GT Garages, who also provided Rob with a demo car for ten months to help promote raffle sales and sponsorship.

Rob, a registered volunteer for the YAA, added: “We’ve had so much support from GT Garages. It’s been incredible and we can’t thank them enough, and a range of other local companies who have given us their services and time free of charge.”

The YAA is an independent charity providing a rapid response emergency service to five million people across Yorkshire, attending over 1,000 missions a year – on average three a day.

The charity needs to raise £12,000 each day to keep its two helicopters flying, equivalent to £4.4m a year.

Caption: Raffle winner David Lawrence and wife Karen with their new car, donated by GT Garages. Raffle organizer Rob Scott (left) hands over a cheque for £20,000 to Yorkshire Air Ambulance regional fundraiser Bob Smailes.