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Hoodies for Heroes: Luce and Bear’s Sister Duo Launches First Charity Collaboration with YAA

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Harrogate-based family fashion brand, Luce & Bear, has proudly launched their first charity collaboration in partnership with Yorkshire Air Ambulance, with 100% of the profits going towards funding future lifesaving missions across the region.

The unisex navy hoodie created by the talented sisters Lucy and Clare Bulmer, showcases an intricately crafted, hand-drawn design, based on the essence of the YAA’s lifesaving missions and the beauty of Yorkshire.

Within the design, a multitude of symbolic illustrations, each holding significant importance to the emergency response charity. From representations of the region’s four major trauma units to common accidents the air ambulance frequently attends, such as motorbike, bicycle, and horse incidents, the design also pays homage to the male and female crew who selflessly serve the community. All elements are brought together by a central helipad illustration, symbolising the crucial role Yorkshire Air Ambulance plays in saving lives from the sky.

The hoodie is available in sizes ranging from XS to 3XL and is designed to provide a true-to-size, comfortable, and flattering fit for all. Luce and Bear are dedicated to producing products responsibly and are committed to environmental, ethical, and equality practices. Each hoodie is PETA-approved vegan and manufactured in a WRAP-certified factory.

The collaboration between Luce and Bear and Yorkshire Air Ambulance began at Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s first Christmas lunch event in 2022. The sisters hosted a stall on the day, forming an instant connection with the YAA team through their shared dedication to charitable causes.

Bringing a unique prospective to the partnership, during the early stages of the collaboration, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance crew attended an incident concerning one of the staff members at Hebden Wood Equestrian Centre, where Lucy keeps and trains her Dressage horse. This personal encounter, so close to home, further emphasises Lucy’s connection to the charity and highlighted the importance of the YAA’s lifesaving work which influenced the final design.

The hoodie design inspiration was taken from Luce and Bears bestselling ‘healing hoodie’ which is an ode to Lucy’s ongoing battle with chronic Lyme Disease, aiming to offer strength, power, love, and luck to those facing their own personal battles.

Leanne Seward, Marketing and Brand Manager at Yorkshire Air Ambulance, expressed her delight with the collaboration, saying, “Working with Luce and Bear on this charity collaboration has been an absolute pleasure. Their dedication to creating meaningful designs that resonate with our mission is truly commendable. We are grateful for their support and the opportunity to partner with such a passionate and talented brand. Together, we are making a difference in the lives of those we serve“.

Following the creation of the hoodie, the sisters were thrilled to have the opportunity to present their design to the lifesaving crew during a visit to the air base. Their enthusiasm for the collaboration and the meaningful symbols incorporated in the design further fuelled the sisters’ passion for supporting the charity.

Lucy and Clare, who have over 20 years of shared retail experience said, “We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to collaborate with Yorkshire Air Ambulance on this meaningful project. As sisters and passionate designers, it has been a truly fulfilling experience to create a hoodie collection that not only showcases our love for Yorkshire but also supports such an essential lifesaving charity.

This collaboration is just the beginning for us, and we have big dreams to expand our range in the future. We can’t wait to see how people respond to our designs and join us in making a difference“.

Priced at £45 including delivery, each hoodie purchased directly via the Yorkshire Air Ambulance website contributes to supporting Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s crucial missions. Order your Yorkshire Air Ambulance + Luce & Bear hoodie now.

To read more Yorkshire Air Ambulance

Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s Flagship Leeds Pop-up Shop Soars High with £50K in Sales

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The Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s flagship high-street pop-up shop located in St Johns Shopping Centre, Leeds, has hit an impressive £50,000 in sales since opening its doors in January 2020. This impressive milestone is a testament to the generosity and support of the local community, whose donations and purchases help fund the charity’s life-saving missions.

In 2022, the shop raised an impressive £25,000 and has continued to make a significant contribution to the charity in 2023. Within the first three months of this year alone, the shop has raised a fantastic £11,500, with shoppers showing no signs of slowing down.

Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Yorkshire Air Ambulance pop-up shop has managed to attract regular supporters, demonstrating the community’s unwavering commitment to supporting this worthy cause.

Located on the ground floor, just by the escalators, the shop is open from 10 am to 3 pm every Wednesday and Friday, with alternating Saturdays, and sells a wide range of items donated by members of the public. These include official Yorkshire Air Ambulance merchandise, hand-knitted baby and children’s clothes, adult & children’s clothing, books, children’s toys, bric-a-brac, records, and DVDs, among other interesting items.

The shop is led by Community Fundraiser Clare Deacon, who has a team of dedicated volunteers helping her throughout the week. Clare said, ‘We’re thrilled to have reached this milestone and want to thank everyone who has donated, volunteered, or made a purchase from our shop – Every penny raised goes directly towards funding our life-saving missions, it’s a testament to the generous community spirit we have here in Yorkshire.

With such a diverse range of items available, our shop is a great place to find a bargain and support a good cause at the same time. So why not pop in and have a look around? You never know what treasures you might find!’.

Centre Manager, Jenny Murphy, said, ‘We are incredibly pleased to see the YAA pop-up shop at St. Johns Shopping Centre having so much success. The store is always so busy and the team of volunteers are just brilliant with their customers, so to hear of them reaching this impressive milestone is not a surprise. I wish them every continued success in their sales for the rest of this year’.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance Chairman to retire after 19 years

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Peter Sunderland, the well-known and long-standing Chairman of Yorkshire Air Ambulance has announced he is to retire after 19 years with the life-saving charity.

Peter who is from Huddersfield, will officially retire as Chairman and Trustee at the end of June. He joined the YAA in 2004 after retiring from his role at the RMC Group PLC, where he worked for over 27 years as one of their UK Directors, bringing with him a wealth of experience in senior management, monitoring & delivering of business targets, workshops, strategic development, financial & budgetary control, and project implementation. He became Chairman in 2006 and has since led the transformation of the Charity into the successful organisation it is today.

Peter commented: “I have been a Trustee of Yorkshire Air Ambulance for 19 years now and Chairman for 17 of those years, however, I feel now is the right time to step down from my role with the Charity. Therefore, I will be retiring as both Chairman and Trustee at the end of June.

When I first joined the YAA in 2004 it was a very different organisation from the one that it is today. We had one leased Bolkow helicopter that operated from a Portakabin at Leeds Bradford airport. The administration was carried out from a small office in Dean Clough Mills in Halifax. Income from donations was very small and hardly covered our costs. A different situation from the very robust and stable position that the Charity finds itself in today, and I am so very proud of how the YAA has evolved over the years. It has truly been a team effort.”

Peter has led on the implementation of many important milestones over the years including purchasing helicopters, developing the two air bases at Nostell and Topcliffe, and gaining the Charity’s own Air Operators Certificate – the first of its kind at the time.

Abby Barmby, Director of Marketing & Communications added “Peter has truly been the pillar of YAA for nearly twenty years now and will be greatly missed by us all. His caring, yet professional leadership combined with extensive business experience proved invaluable in driving a clear vision, purpose, and strategy for the charity over the last nearly twenty years. He introduced and implemented a robust financial accounting foundation which has been built on over the years, resulting in the charity being in the strong position it is today.  He really has made YAA the respected organisation it is, not just as our Chairman but as a true Ambassador too -a legacy we will all carry forward.

On behalf of everyone at YAA we’d like to express our heartfelt thanks to both Peter and his wife Margaret who has been a wonderful support to him over the years. We are indebted to them for all they have done for the charity during Peter’s tenure as Chairman.”

When Peter stands down at the end of June, current Vice-Chairman Mike Harrop will step into the role of Chairman from the beginning of July.

Mike brings a wealth of experience from his 30-year career in the RAF including being the Station Commander at RAF Scampton, the home of the Red Arrows. He also has an extensive and in-depth knowledge of YAA after initially joining as a volunteer back in 2017, before joining the Board in 2019, and taking on the role of Vice-Chairman in 2022.

Peter added, “I am delighted to be handing the Chairmanship of YAA over to Mike who I know will take YAA forward and build on what we’ve already established with a great team to support him.”

As well as his work with YAA, Peter has also been a member of the Wakefield Cathedral Council and is a past President and Subscribers Secretary of Huddersfield Choral Society. In 2007 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of West Yorkshire and was awarded an MBE by HM Queen Elizabeth II in 2016 for ‘Voluntary service to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and the community in West Yorkshire’.

For further information about YAA, please visit www.yaa.org.uk.

 

Couple Takes on KA-razy Fundrasing Tour to Raise Money for Yorkshire Air Ambulance in Son’s Memory

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Audrey and Sean Duxbury have taken on the London to Lisbon, Two Ball Rally, in memory of their late son Joshua Duxbury who passed away following a motorcycle accident in 2016.

On 8th October 2016, Joshua, aged 21 at the time, was travelling to work as a Chef at his mother’s popular café, Route 59 in Skipton,  when he sadly lost his life in a road collision with a Lorry.. The Yorkshire Air Ambulance crew were dispatched to the scene, however, sadly Joshua had died on impact.

Audrey and Sean are now keen to continue their son’s memory by fundraising and supporting the emergency response charity, Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

The couple considered many traditional ways to fundraise, but after learning about the ‘Two Ball Rally’ tour, they knew it would have been something Joshua would have loved, and didn’t hesitate for a moment to sign up. With a strict budget of £800 as per the rally rules, Audrey and Sean purchased their 58’ plate Ford KA and began decorating it in a golf buggy theme, in homage to the last activity they ever did with their son.

The couple, who are driving as team ‘Underpar’ are documenting their journey on social media and will be dressing in different golfing attire for each leg of their trip ranging from traditional 30’s, 50’s, 70’s, 90’s and modern-day dress.

The duo set off on their trip on the 5th of April from Joshua’s favorite football club, Blackburn Rovers to make their way down to the official start of the race at the famous Brands Hatch circuit.. Joining over 37 other rally drivers at the starting line, Audrey and Sean were met by Joshua’s Aunt and Uncle who will also be partaking in the rally in a duck-themed car.

Travelling from Brands Hatch race circuit, the convoy will travel via Le Mans, Bordeaux, Burgos, and Braga, before finishing the tour in Lisbon. Upon arrival at each destination, the rally group will take part in fun challenges to collect points, and win spot prizes, all adding to the sense of adventure.

Supporters have so far donated £450 via Audrey and Sean’s Just Giving page. The married couple, who will celebrate their 38th wedding anniversary on the day they arrive in Lisbon, hope to celebrate by reaching their fundraising target of £1500.

Audrey, who is currently restoring Joshua’s Motorbike as part of her personal therapy, said, ‘We knew when we set out on this challenge that it would be a great way to honour our son, sharing in his passion for motor rallies, as he completed a tour of Dublin’s coastline before he passed away. We are certain he would have laughed at our fancy dress costumes too! Thank you to everyone who has donated to us, it means the world that we can remember Joshua whilst also supporting a charity that is so close to our hearts’.

When speaking of his fundraising efforts, Sean said, ‘Thank you to everyone who has donated so far, we miss our son every single day and doing this European tour means so much to us. Not only has the Yorkshire Air Ambulance touched our lives very closely, but many of our regulars from our Café, which is really well supported by the motorcycle community, have required it too. We hope our donation will help towards the cost of saving more lives around Yorkshire’.

North Yorkshire Regional Fundraiser, Tessa Klemz, said, ‘We are incredibly grateful to Audrey and Sean for their fantastic fundraising efforts in memory of their son, it sounds like a brilliant adventure, and I know it means so much to them. Their dedication and generosity will help us continue providing life-saving care to those most need it. We cannot thank them enough for their support and for making a difference in the lives of others’.

Bracken Ghyll Golf Club raises £12,000 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance

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Bracken Ghyll golf club in Addingham, West Yorkshire, have raised over £12,000 for Yorkshire Air Ambulance

The Club chose the rapid response emergency service as their charity of the year following a member’s cardiac arrest on the course.

Nigel Boot had almost finished his round on April 21st  this year when he suffered a heart attack at the 18th tee. His playing partner immediately phoned 999 and two members, plus the Club Pro, administered CPR and used the Club’s defibrillator.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance dispatched their Critical Care Team who managed to land on course and restarted Nigel’s heart. He was taken to Airedale hospital by land ambulance where he was fitted with an implanted defibrillator (ICD).

“The air ambulance landed on the golf course and to this day, I still can’t believe how they managed to land in the area. Fortunately, they managed to get me going again. I wouldn’t be here without everyone’s help that day,” said Nigel.

Bracken Ghyll Golf Club have held a range of events throughout the year for Yorkshire Air Ambulance including a 72-hole challenge and a community event and have now reached their fundraising target of £12,000.

Helen Berriman, West Yorkshire Fundraiser for Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said: “We would like to thank Bracken Ghyll Golf Cub for choosing us as their charity of the year.

“We were glad to be able to help one of their members recently in their time of need and the money raised will help greatly towards keeping our two helicopters flying and saving more lives across the region.”

Photo: Bracken Ghyll Golf Club Seniors Vice Captain Will Stoker, Lady Captain Liz White, Member Pat Murray, Ladies Vice Captain Janice Garlick, Member Judy Banks, President Ian Disley, and Yorkshire Air Ambulance West Yorkshire Fundraiser Helen Berriman.

Read more YAA news HERE.

Biker thankful to YAA after dramatic crash near England’s highest pub

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Experienced biker Robin Brown was riding with a friend towards the Tan Hill Inn, Swaledale, in poor visibility last January when he hit a gulley and was catapulted off his bike.

A passing car stopped and took the 62-year-old lorry driver to the Tan Hill Inn where the emergency services were called. Despite very poor flying conditions, Yorkshire Air Ambulance managed to reach the remote Dales spot 1,732 ft above sea level.

Robin was airlifted to the James Cook major trauma centre, Middlesbrough, in just 16 minutes – a journey that would have taken an hour and 20 minutes by road ambulance.

The father-of-two from Eastmoor, Wakefield, suffered a punctured lung and a broken ankle in the accident. Robin spent four months recovering from his injuries and is still having physiotherapy. But, he knows he is very lucky to have survived a high-speed crash in such a remote location. “We hadn’t done the route before and I just misread the road and hit the bank. I flew up and off the bike and was saved because I was wearing all the right equipment.

“I am also so very grateful to the air ambulance for getting to me in what were horrible conditions and then flying me to hospital so quickly. I can’t thank them enough.”

Photo of Robin Brown. The man is sat in a cream coloured arm chair or sofa and is wearing a brown polo shirt with a yellow logo on it.

Robin’s accident features in Tuesday’s episode of Helicopter ER, the award-winning Really channel programme that follows the life-saving work of Yorkshire Air Ambulance.

The programme, also features a teenager who suffered multiple injuries after a tyre blow-out at 70mph, a climber who fell 30ft from a rock face at Stanage Edge in the Peak District and a DIY job that went badly wrong.

Photo: Robin Brown who is lucky to be alive after a high-speed motorbike accident

Professional mountain biker injured in Sheffield woods to appear on Helicopter ER

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A professional Mountain Biker injured deep in Sheffield woods is to appear on Helicopter ER next on Tuesday night (1st November).

Davi Birks was out mountain biking in a Sheffield woodland when he came off his bike after colliding with a tree and was knocked unconscious.

“I remember riding the quite technical descent into the woods, but after that I can’t remember anything”, said Davi.

While he was in and out of consciousness, Davi was able to get on his bike and flag down a dog walker to call for help. The emergency services were called, as well as Davi’s mountain biking friend who lived near and was able to pinpoint his location.

Due to the dense woodland and the remote location, Yorkshire Air Ambulance was dispatched. It was thanks to the app What3words, which provided the emergency services with his exact location, that he was found.

What3Words is an app that has divided the world into 57 trillion squares and given each square a unique three-word address that can be found using GPS. When a caller is unable to identify where they are, they can pass the three words generated by the app to the emergency services and they will be able to track their location within a three-mile radius.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance crew assessed Davi and with fears that he had sustained serious chest damage he was flown to Sheffield Northern General for further treatment.

Doctors at the Northern General Hospital revealed that Davi had broken eight ribs, severely displaced his shoulder, and sustained multiple punctures to his lungs.

Speaking of his recovery, Davi said: “Recovery has been pretty tough. I’m used to leading a pretty active lifestyle so to have that taken away from you is really hard.” It was six months before Davi was back on his bike.

“Mountain biking means everything to me. I’ve always been around mountain bikes from riding motocross when I was younger to now working in the Mountain Biking industry. It’s a big part of my life. Without mountain biking, part of my identity has been taken away, but slowly and surely, I’m getting back into it”, he said.

Davi’s flight with Yorkshire Air Ambulance wasn’t his first time using an air ambulance service. Three years ago, Davi had an incident at loch Ness where he nearly drowned.

Davi’s incident will be featured on the Yorkshire Air Ambulance reality television show Helicopter ER, on Tuesday 1st November at 9 pm. The episode also features an injured veteran motorcyclist and a mum-to-be injured by a driver under the influence of alcohol.

Read more YAA News HERE.

A Huddersfield teen who collided with a car to appear on Helicopter ER this week

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A Huddersfield teenager knocked off his bike whilst cycling home from school is set to appear on Helicopter ER this week.

14-year-old Conor Morgan was cycling home from school with his twin brother to his home near Brackenhall when he collided with a car coming out of a junction. He was trapped under the car in the pouring rain until the ambulance arrived.

Due to his nasty leg injury, Yorkshire Air Ambulance dispatched their helicopter with a consultant and specialist Paramedics on board. An examination on-scene revealed that Conor had severely fractured his femur and had to have his leg manipulated back into place in the back of an ambulance before being taken to hospital for further treatment

Speaking of his incident, Conor said: “My brother called mum and the police, and a couple of minutes later the ambulance came and I was put on the stretcher and taken to the hospital. My brother is my twin brother and we’ve been together 14 years, my time in the hospital was the first time I was away from him for a few days.”

Jovana Morgan, Conor’s mum said: “I was quite shocked and taken aback to see the helicopter and I thought it must have been serious for them to land.”

A decision was made for Conor to be taken to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary via land ambulance, a short journey from where he had his accident. He was rushed into surgery where surgeons fixed his thigh bone with metal rods, and he spent three days in the hospital.

It has been a long and tough recovery for Conor as he had to learn to walk again, initially with a walking frame and then on crutches. “It was very painful. I started with a frame and then I moved on to two crutches and then one crutch. It took six or seven months until my leg was healed”, said Conor.

But as Conor wasn’t wearing a helmet, the outcome could have been much worse. He has since made a full recovery, but the impact of the incident has left both Conor and his brother cautious about using their bicycles.

Speaking of Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Jovana said: “They are a very valuable resource and if Conor had been much worse, it was good to know that there was an alternative mode of transport to get him the treatment he required.”

Yorkshire Air Ambulance provides a life-saving rapid response emergency service to five million people across four million acres of Yorkshire.

Pickering teen footballer injured in sporting mishap thanks YAA Heroes

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A teenage footballer left with a serious leg injury sustained in a freak accident when a football tackle went wrong, has thanked the Yorkshire Air Ambulance crew who came to his rescue at a recent friendly match in Flixton, near Scarborough.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance provides a life-saving rapid response emergency service to five million people across four million acres of Yorkshire.

On 25h September 2022, Harry Sollitt-Bevan from Pickering, who was 15 years old at the time, was playing football for his local under 16-year-olds football team when he went in for a tackle and accidentally ended up with a double compound leg fracture.

Julian Bevan, Harry’s dad, said: “There was no malice, it was a 50/50 challenge that simply went wrong. Harry was incredibly brave, he never cried or said anything, he just got on with it. I think I was struggling more than him!”

The football club called the emergency services and due to the serious nature of the fracture, Yorkshire Air Ambulance was dispatched. After administering vital pain relief, a decision was made to fly Harry to James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough for further treatment.

As soon as he arrived at the hospital, Harry was rushed in for emergency surgery to clean the wound and a second operation took place the next day to pin his leg. Harry had nearly 16 hours of surgery and was in the hospital for two weeks. He is currently wearing a Lazarus frame to help his injury heal.

Recovery for Harry is still in the very early stages. However, he does have his mind set on fundraising for the charity that came to his aid when he is better.

“As soon as we reached the hospital, Harry said that he wanted to fundraise for the air ambulance. I don’t think he even realised how much they rely on public generosity until we had a chat about ideas”, said Julian.

Speaking of Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Julian said: “Everyone involved in his care has been amazing and that started on the pitch with Yorkshire Air Ambulance. They were brilliant and we cannot thank them enough for picking Harry up and taking him to the hospital.”

Yorkshire Air Ambulance responds to an average of four incidents every single day and last year, the Charity treated 1,700 patients across Yorkshire. To find out how you can support Yorkshire Air Ambulance and to read more patient stories, please visit: https://www.yorkshireairambulance.org.uk/

Mountain biker paralysed from the chest down after freak incident to appear on Helicopter ER

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A mountain biker from Holmfirth, near Huddersfield in West Yorkshire who was paralysed from the chest down after colliding with a tree, is to appear on the television series Helicopter ER this week.

Bruce Wilson, 56, was mountain biking with his son in dense woodland above Todmorden, West Yorkshire. He was attempting some jumps and travelling towards one when he overshot it and ended up colliding with a tree.

Recalling his incident Bruce said: “I was on my mountain bike and doing jumps with my son. I remember my son telling me to brake for this jump as it was a big gap jump and I thought there was no way I’d have to brake for that. Then I overjumped it. I was too high, too far for the landing ramp and after that my memory is wiped out. “

Due to the remote location of the incident, Yorkshire Air Ambulance dispatched one of its helicopters. As the incident was deep in the forest, the crew was driven from the aircraft by the local Mountain Rescue team to help injured Bruce.

Alarmingly, Bruce couldn’t feel his legs and had sustained other serious injuries; therefore, a decision was made to fly him to Leeds General Infirmary for further assessment and treatment. A crew of Mountain Rescue volunteers and air ambulance medics stretchered him out of the forest to the helicopter which was waiting for half a mile away.

Tests at the hospital revealed that the fall had broken six of Bruce’s vertebrae and permanently damaged his spinal cord. As a result of his injuries, Bruce has been left paralysed from the chest down.

Bruce spent six months in the hospital, most of which was in a specialist spinal unit. He now uses a wheelchair and is trying to find a new house that is accessible to him. Despite his ordeal, he is recovering well.

“I was a firefighter, and it was something I really enjoyed doing, but I’ve lost that now that I’m paralysed. Being in a wheelchair, you don’t realise how difficult it is until it happens to you. I’m just lucky that the emergency teams found me and pulled together to help me through this”, said Bruce.

Speaking of Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Bruce said: “As a firefighter, I had attended quite a lot of incidents with the air ambulance. They do a fantastic job. A week before my incident, I was on my way home when I passed a horse-riding incident. I pulled over in my car and their neighbour called me over to help carry the stretcher to the air ambulance. Little did I know that I would be airlifted the following week.”

Bruce’s incident will be broadcast on the Yorkshire Air Ambulance reality television show on Tuesday 18th October at 9pm. The episode also features a motorcyclist’s head-on collision with a car and a champion jockey seriously injured after falling from his horse.

Longest-serving YAA HEMS Paramedic celebrates 20 years at the Charity

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Sammy Wills, Yorkshire Air Ambulance’s (YAA) longest-serving HEMS Paramedic has celebrated her 20-year anniversary at the Charity.

Yorkshire Air Ambulance is a lifesaving rapid response emergency service serving five million people across 4 million acres of Yorkshire. Last year, the crew responded to more than 1,700 incidents across the region.

Sammy joined the Charity on 21st September 2002 when Yorkshire Air Ambulance was in its infancy, flying from Leeds Bradford Airport where the YAA base was a small Portakabin.

“When I started at Yorkshire Air Ambulance, no one recognised that we are a charity; they wouldn’t have thought to have put the two words together. Now we’re recognisable all over the world”, said Sammy.

Reliving her first day at the air ambulance, she said: “I finished my training on the Friday at Leeds Bradford Airport and the duty crew asked me if I had passed. Then they asked if I could do them a favour and swap my shift to work the next day. I remember my first job was a road traffic collision on a roundabout in Leeds and one of the occupants was heavily pregnant. Luckily, all the occupants were fine, and the pregnant lady was taken to the hospital as a precaution. It was a gentle introduction to the HEMS world.”

Sammy is one of the only current YAA staff members to have experienced flying on all three models of YAA helicopters. “I have always loved aviation from being a kid and I have had the privilege of flying on every single air ambulance Yorkshire has had. Initially, we rented and now we own both our aircraft, which is a credit to the Charity. A lot has changed over the years; we have really enhanced the style of the aircraft and we have a lot more space to treat patients. The first thing I noticed when we upgraded to G-SASH and G-CEMS from our first Bolkbow, was that the new helicopters didn’t smell like museum pieces! When I first flew G-PASG, it smelt like aircraft that you used to visit at a museum. It genuinely did smell of old aviation fuel and electrics.”

It is not only the helicopters that have changed over the past 20 years but also paramedics’ skillset and the equipment used on board. Yorkshire Air Ambulance is also celebrating their first year of having the largest female HEMS crew since the Charity’s inception.

“At one point I was the only female crew member and now we’ve taken over a whole corner of the locker room,” Sammy jested.

Speaking of their enhanced skillset, Sammy spoke of a recent thought-provoking mission: “It was only recently when I attended a particular job that I realised how far the Charity has come in the last 20 years. We did everything we could for the patient and there was nothing else known to man that we could have done that wouldn’t have been performed in the hospital. We had the whole team working on the patient as best we could. It was like a milestone. When I look at what we did 20 years ago to what we do now, we as a charity and as a service have made great strides forward. We didn’t even have morphine on board when I started.”

Over the last 20 years, Sammy has become one of the Charity’s most recognised and loved HEMs Paramedics, achieving fame on the hit television show Helicopter ER. “I do get stopped a lot, especially when the series is on. It’s always nice to be able to say thank-you to our supporters. What is embarrassing though, is when you get recognised in your swimming costume when you are abroad! I’ve even been on a bus in Kenya and a Scottish lady turned round and said I know you, you’re on the helicopter.”

Speaking of why she is proud to have worked at YAA for the last 20 years, Sammy said: “Because it’s a privilege to help people on the worst day of their lives and support them with the state-of-the-art aircraft and clinical training and with the best Critical Care Team available, alongside the colleagues who you have total faith in, and do your very best as a complete team. It’s not just about getting there fast or flying them quickly to the hospital, it’s the team that works together, drills together, eats together and plays together that helps that individual or whole families by performing together on the job.”

Sammy’s 20 years at Yorkshire Air Ambulance isn’t her only milestone; in January 2023 she will also celebrate 30 years of being a Paramedic at Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

Peter Sunderland, Chairman of Yorkshire Air Ambulance, said: “We would like to congratulate Sammy and express our huge gratitude and thanks for her 20 years of dedication to our Charity. Sammy’s enthusiasm for her role never falters and she is an asset to our crew and a firm part of the greater YAA family.”

Sammy can also be seen in the latest series of Helicopter ER which is currently airing on Channel Really on Tuesdays at 9pm.

A couple who suffered serious motorcycle incident in Ingleton to appear on Helicopter ER

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Gill and Dave Horn were riding to the Lake District when their bike collided with a car turning into a right junction. The incident was caught on dashcam, and the couple were catapulted from their saddles onto a grass verge.

Speaking of the incident, Dave said: “I have no memory of it at all. The only memory I have is waking up in the hospital and wondering why am I there? I was lucky that I had a camera on my bike because I don’t remember it, and I don’t relate it to my accident. It was only when I saw Gill being thrown off the back of the bike on the footage that I realised it was us.”

Due to the remote area of the incident, Yorkshire Air Ambulance was dispatched. The crew treated both Dave and Gill and as Gill’s injuries were less severe, a decision was made for her to be transported to the hospital via land ambulance and Dave was flown to the Royal Preston Hospital for further treatment.

Tests at the hospital revealed that Dave had suffered a catalogue of serious injuries including a bleed on the brain, a punctured lung, a ruptured spleen, a broken ankle and several broken ribs. Gill had broken two ribs and suffered severe bruising.

Dave and Gill are still recovering from their injuries and the impact of the collision has weighed heavily on their finances as they both had to take considerable time off work.

“I’m here now, what does it matter? Money isn’t everything”, said Gill.  When asked about his wife and how it feels since the incident, Dave said: “Gill is very precious to me and sometimes I still come over to give her a hug just because I can. You don’t realise how much you are loved until something like this happens.”

Speaking of Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Dave said: “I’m sat here today because of their expertise. They are a fantastic charity.”

Gill and Dave’s incident will be broadcast on the Yorkshire Air Ambulance reality television show on Tuesday 11th October at 9 pm. The episode also features a farmer crushed by an overturned tractor and a car crash with a drystone wall.