FLIGHT FOR LIFE WINTER/SPRING 2021
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BLOOD ON BOARD APPEAL INSIDE PAGES 10 & 11
FLYING TOWARDS A BRIGHTER FUTURE
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FLIGHT FOR LIFE MAGAZINE | WINTER/SPRING 2021
ehaat_
WELCOME
TO THE FLIGHT FOR LIFE MAGAZINE JANE GURNEY Chief Executive Officer ESSEX & HERTS AIR AMBULANCE
It’s lovely to connect with you all again and I very much hope that as you read this edition of our Flight for Life magazine things are looking a little brighter for you and your family. Now with the vaccine programme in full swing, I really feel a gradual return to some sort of normality is not too far away for us all. Our service continues to operate 24/7 and in November our critical care team reached an amazing milestone by providing their 100th patient with a potentially life-saving pre-hospital blood transfusion, a remarkable achievement. Could you be one of the sixty people pledging £500 to get us to the £30,000 target needed to keep flying blood to those who need it most? If so, please turn to page 10. 2021 is set to be an exciting year for Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) as our brand-new purpose-built airbase at North Weald will become operational. We are so looking forward to welcoming former patients, supporters and the wider community into this very special building, which will help secure the future of the charity’s operations for many years to come. This huge milestone for the charity has only been made possible thanks to many years of support from people just like you! Turn to page 19 for a look at how the building has progressed. 2020 was a year when so many things had to be done differently, I am really proud of all our charity team, including our fundraising and events team who worked hard to ensure we engaged with our supporters in lots of different and new ways.
PUBLISHED BY:
Focus IMC www.focusimc.co.uk
EDITOR:
In late summer ‘Motorcycle Run: I Did It My Way’, a motorcycle-focused fundraising initiative raised over £16,000 for the charity. We also welcomed over a hundred business leaders to our firstever corporate webinar, which included a virtual tour of our current airbase. This was so successful the team are busy planning more for this year. One very special moment for me was our first-ever online Christmas Celebration, our way of spreading some much needed festive cheer at the end of 2020 and an opportunity for us to say a huge ‘thank you’ to everyone who is part of our wider EHAAT family. I know that our critical care team, volunteers, charity team and chaplains all enjoyed coming together to help put this exceptional evening together. Before signing off, I must thank our passionate team of dedicated volunteers who I know are eager to get back to their volunteering roles. We can’t wait to have them all back and I can’t thank them enough for being so patient. One special volunteer to mention is our Trustee Anni Ridsdill Smith who you can find out more about in our feature on page 5. Our volunteers give us their time, which is such a precious commodity, for which we are so very grateful. Together we look forward to flying into a brighter future and on behalf of everyone here at EHAAT, I would just like say THANK YOU for your ongoing support – it means so much to us all.
Kayleigh Bonner kayleigh.bonner@ehaat.org
CONTENTS NEWS.................................................4–5 REAL LIFE STORIES..........................6–7 CLINICAL/OPS..............................8–9 BLOOD ON BOARD APPEAL....10–11 FUNDRAISING..............................12–15 RETAIL/VOLUNTEERING...........16–17 LOTTERY...........................................18 AIRBASE...........................................19
WE NEED YOU! If you want to volunteer for a charity that offers flexible hours to suit you, a welcoming environment, regular get-togethers, interaction with our critical care team and employability skills, come and join our amazing volunteer family! Whether you can give us a little time occasionally or a lot of time regularly, our volunteer team would be pleased to hear from you and help answer any questions about what is involved. Contact our volunteer team via volunteer.team@ehaat.org or by calling 0345 2417 690.
CHARITY NUMBER:
1108989
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NEWS
VISION ZERO: NO MORE DEATHS ON OUR ROADS Each year our critical care teams attend hundreds of road traffic collisions which result in serious injury or death. Wouldn’t it be amazing if that toll of misery could be reduced? The Safer Essex Roads Partnership (SERP) has brought together local authorities, emergency services and Highways England amongst others, with the aim of reducing death and serious injury on Essex roads to zero. An ambitious but thoroughly deserving project and one we are proud to be a part of. The Hertfordshire Road Safety Partnership has similar aspirations to reduce death and injury on the roads. SERP feels that just one death on our roads is one death too many and as such has launched “Vision Zero”. It is our ambition to have ZERO road deaths and serious injuries on roads in the Essex, Southend and Thurrock council areas by 2040.
MOTORCYCLE RUN 2020: I DID IT MY WAY Over the years our Harwich and North Weald Motorcycle Runs have become two of our most popular fundraising events, with thousands of bikers taking to the roads. Our friends in the motorcycle community made it clear that they were keen to still find a way of supporting EHAAT during the restrictions which made it impossible to hold our usual events.
Stuart Elms, EHAAT’s Clinical Director, says: “I completely support Vision Zero and urge everyone to help us achieve this shared vision. The scale of this project is huge, to reach zero by 2040, we will need to halve the current number of deaths and serious injury by 2030. We cannot do this alone so I am asking all of you to promote this to friends, family and work colleagues.” If we do nothing, by 2040 another 840 people may die on the roads in Essex and another 16,000 people may be seriously injured. The cost to all services would be around £5 billion by 2040. In every possible way, it makes sense to invest in road safety. Please visit saferessexroads.org/vision-zero-no-moredeaths-on-essex-roads/ for further information.
So for 2020, EHAAT launched ‘Motorcycle Run: I Did It My Way’, a motorcycling fundraising initiative which saw hundreds of bikers getting on their bikes during August and September to tackle a minimum 60-mile route of their choosing at a time that suited them in a safe and distanced fashion. In return for a £10 registration fee, they got an exclusive commemorative pin badge as a keepsake and for an additional £10 they could purchase a specially-designed t-shirt. Riders were encouraged to submit pictures taken during their ride for inclusion on a ‘Wall of Fame’ on the EHAAT website. Bikers really got behind the idea, getting to destinations as far away as Land’s End and John O’Groats. One group spent a week riding to and around Scotland, covering over 2,000 miles, while others picked routes closer to home with tours of Essex and Hertfordshire, and neighbouring counties. New supporters were recruited via Facebook advertising, with videos and photos helping us to engage with participants in a very different way to our traditional rides. At the end of the period, ‘I Did It My Way’ clocked up 672 participants, and raised a total of £16,132 for the charity; a truly incredible result for a virtual event!
The Aged Bikers at Land’s End
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Thank you to everyone who took part and the sponsors who helped make this event possible: Woodland Group, SorryMate.com and Colchester Kawasaki.
Photo credit: SUPJunkie
ANNI RIDSDILL SMITH: TRUSTEE AND PADDLE BOARDER After almost a decade as a trustee with EHAAT, Anni Ridsdill Smith says she still pauses whenever she hears the sound of a helicopter overhead. She explains: “Every time I see one of the charity’s helicopters fly over I stop and look up. My first thought is one of sadness that someone somewhere is having a life-changing day. I then think of the crew members and feel a huge sense of pride that I helped put them in the air. “I think we are phenomenally fortunate in Essex and Hertfordshire to have a pre-hospital care doctor and a highly qualified critical care paramedic in helicopters and rapid response vehicles carrying blood and specialist equipment. “It’s not something that everyone has, and as a community we have a resource that is second to none.” Anni’s passion for EHAAT is evident when she talks about the improvement work that has happened recently at Earls Colne and the new airbase being built at North Weald. “To me, North Weald is more than just a building, it will be a centre of excellence, somewhere we can really showcase the teams and the work they do. It will provide even more opportunities to train and work in partnership with other organisations.” As one of our trustees Anni, along with the rest of the board of trustees, helps to guide and govern the charity ensuring it is run in a fit and proper manner. Photo credit: SUPtog Geoff Mather
“My background is training, so when I saw that EHAAT needed help in 2007, I offered my services and helped train volunteers. I joined the board as a trustee nearly ten years ago. “As well as the main board I sit on three sub-committees; North Weald Working Group, the Retail Advisory Committee and the Nominations Committee. In those committees, we get more time to go into detail and really understand the subjects”. Away from EHAAT, she is a prominent figure in the world of stand up paddleboarding (SUP). “My husband Mike was an accomplished dinghy sailor and was part of the GB squad in the run up to the Barcelona Olympics. He introduced me to water sports and once we’d had children we decided to switch from sailing to stand up paddleboarding and paddle with them.” “At the time, not many people knew about the sport so we would get lots of questions about what we were doing – people were keen to get involved.” The couple eventually set up their own SUP school called Frangipani SUP and now they teach everyone from beginners to racers, they guide people on tours and run instructor courses. “People travel to us from across the south east of England. It keeps us fit and has introduced us to lots of amazing people.” In 2013 Anni competed in the first women’s invitational SUP race at the Southampton Boat Show and she has been competing actively on the UK race circuit ever since, travelling to events around the country. She is regularly on the podium, and in 2017 she finished third in the female 14’ race class in the national series. She is a director and trainer at the British Stand Up Paddle Association, sits on the events committee of GBSUP, is an ambassador for Mistral SUP and a This Girl Can Ambassador for SUP in Essex. EHAAT is grateful that such a talented and busy person has chosen to volunteer as one of our trustees.
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FEATURES
Incident summary: • Name: Gary Sorrell • Age: 57 years old • Type: Accidental injury – crushed under tractor • Injuries: Chest injuries, both lungs collapsed, two spinal fractures • Interventions: Required strong pain killers to aid breathing, splinting of pelvis to reduce movement and immobilisation to protect neck and back • Outcome: Transferred via air ambulance to major trauma centre, where he spent 9 days
“WHEN I HEARD THE AIR AMBULANCE WAS COMING IT WAS MUSIC TO MY EARS” In April 2020 Gary Sorrell from Cold Norton in Essex was using a large ride-on roller to flatten the grass in his garden when it became stuck in soft ground. Gary then used a vintage tractor that he owns to pull the roller out when disaster struck. He explains: “The tractor revved, moved forward and came up into a wheelie. It then flipped over backwards, landing on top of me. There was no time to react. “It was pinning me to the floor, the engine was still running and fuel was leaking out all over the floor. I thought if this goes up, I’ve had it. “Being a vintage tractor there was no roll cage, so it went completely flat to the ground, with the steering wheel embedded in the turf. Miraculously that part didn’t hit me as it came down. My wife and daughter somehow managed to pivot the tractor out of the way. “When I heard the air ambulance was coming it was music to my ears as I was feeling dreadful, howling in pain. I didn’t know just how quickly the air ambulance could get there, but also that they have a pre-hospital care doctor and a critical care paramedic on board, so the level of care they can give you is greater than a land ambulance on its own.”
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The EHAAT helicopter was able to land in a neighbouring field and the critical care team immediately set out to help Gary. “They worked on me for about an hour. I had chest injuries, my lung had collapsed, and I had broken my collar bone. There were also two broken vertebrae in my back.” The team immobilised Gary to protect his neck and back, and splinted his pelvis. They administered a strong pain killer called Fentanyl, something land ambulance crews do not carry, which made it easier for Gary to breathe by reducing the pain he felt when inhaling. The team were then able to take him by air to The Royal London Hospital, the nearest major trauma centre, which could provide him with the ongoing treatment and care needed. After nine days in hospital Gary, was discharged to continue his recovery at home. “The EHAAT team were absolutely brilliant. They were very caring and it was really impressive to see the way the air ambulance crew worked with the land ambulance crew. Without them all working together, I don’t think I would have come out of this as well as I have done. I’d like to sincerely thank everyone involved.”
FLIGHT FOR LIFE MAGAZINE | WINTER/SPRING 2021
“WE WERE IN THE KITCHEN AND DIDN’T HEAR ANYTHING. ” The evening of 21st October 2019 is one that Leo and Janine Caplan will never forget, because of a dreadful accident in their own home. Leo recalls: “We’d had a really great day. Then that evening, our daughter Valentina, or Teeny (9) as she prefers to be known, went up to bed and then shortly after, her older siblings Noah (16) and Scarlett (19) went to their bedrooms. “Noah, who had his headphones on, heard a sound which he said was like a bag being dropped and came out of his room. We were in the kitchen and didn’t hear anything. Noah nearly didn’t come out of his room, thinking it was nothing.” Teeny had fallen from an upstairs balcony 28 feet headfirst onto a marble floor. “She looked completely lifeless and there was already a pool of blood. We dialled 999 and they asked me to check her breathing, but she wasn’t breathing.” The EEAST land ambulance crew were on scene within eight minutes and immediately started Teeny’s care. Shortly afterwards EHAAT’s critical care team arrived in a rapid response vehicle. “They were working their socks off, I could see from their faces they were fighting to save her life and discussing the best way to get her to hospital. I think the teams must have worked on her for nearly an hour. “The critical care team put her in an induced coma at our house, which I understand from the neurosurgeon saved her life. She then had to be taken in a land ambulance quickly but smoothly to The Royal London Hospital.” The team there, led by leading Neurosurgeon Chris Uff, operated on Teeny for six hours.
“He removed the splinters and pieced them together like a jigsaw puzzle, glueing and metal clipping her skull together.” Leo and Janine were told that as well as injury to her brain, their daughter had suffered two fractured vertebrae in her neck and that the chances of her surviving were about 50%. Eleven days later she woke up, and a year on Leo says you would not be able to tell the difference between her and any other child of her age. “She is a miracle. I cannot be more thankful for the work of the air ambulance team and everyone else involved that night. Without them, we wouldn’t have Teeny. It’s as simple as that.
Incident summary: • Name: Valentina Caplan • Age: 9 years old • Type: Fall from height • Injuries: Multiple facial fractures, multiple skull fractures, base of skull fracture, subarachnoid haemorrhage – bleeding brain • Interventions: Pre-hospital anaesthetic to help maintain
and secure airway, which enabled the crew to ventilate and ensure oxygenation to help prevent further brain injury. Careful packaging, enabling the splinting of actual and potential injuries. Triage to the correct hospital • Outcome: Transferred via land ambulance to major trauma centre
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CLINICAL/OPS
THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WORKING… In June 2020 Magnum Europe, based in Southend-onSea, kindly donated 19 pairs of boots for use by our Critical care team. Magnum are a long-standing friend of the charity, generously supporting us over many years and it’s great that they have been able to do so again with this donation worth £2,660. As you can see the team was delighted to take delivery of these high-quality operational boots which enable them to work safely and comfortably in all environments. Magnum Europe is offering EHAAT supporters an exclusive 25% discount on purchases via their website www. magnumboots.co.uk. Simply enter code EHAAT25 at the check-out to receive 25% off any purchase, any time, on any product!
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NEW BAG SYSTEM In the culmination of a two-year project, we have gone live with a new bag system. Specially designed to accommodate the equipment that our critical care teams take with them, these new ‘Pax Bags’ have separate compartments to enable related pieces of equipment to be stored together. This enables the teams to set up more quickly when they arrive on the scene. It also speeds up the process of checking the contents of the bags, as only compartments on which the seal has been broken need to be checked. The bags also accommodate the drugs the crew carry, which currently have to be carried in a separate bag. Although slightly bigger than their current bags, the new ones are more comfortable and easier to carry.
CREW HELMETS
SAM’S SNACKS
After an application to Charles S French charitable trust, EHAAT has been awarded £5,000 towards the purchase of crew helmets which can be used during the day and night. With this and the donation of £1,555 in memory of Frank Rush (a former EHAAT volunteer), EHAAT has £6,555 towards the total cost of equipping the crew with new helmets.
We’ve all found different ways to help with wellbeing during lockdown. With restrictions making it harder to get their hands on snacks, North Weald Chief Pilot Sam Tompkins created a tuck shop for the aircrew to keep spirits up and he makes sure it is always well-stocked. Nice one Sam!
EHAAT and representatives from The Princess Alexandra Hospital and Essex Voluntary Blood Service celebrate the launch of blood on board in 2019. Photo taken before COVID-19.
BLOOD MILESTONE In November a male patient involved in a road traffic collision became the one-hundredth person to receive a blood transfusion from one of our critical care teams. Laurie Phillipson, one of the charity’s clinical managers said: “We began carrying blood on board our helicopters and rapid response vehicles in March 2019 to provide an extra level of care to patients suffering significant blood loss.
“Being able to give a pre-hospital transfusion at the scene of an incident can be a life-saving intervention for the most seriously injured, and is another example of how EHAAT is bringing innovative care to the patient’s side. Previously patients who suffered blood loss were given a saline solution, which although effective in many ways, doesn’t carry oxygen or help with clotting.
“This milestone would not have been reached without the support we receive from the amazing laboratory and transfusion team at The Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, who provide our blood, and the fantastic volunteer drivers and bikers of the Essex Voluntary Blood Service who deliver the blood to our bases daily.” Since our teams began providing blood transfusions in March 2019, they have not wasted a single drop of this precious commodity.
TURN OVER TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN BE PART OF OUR BLOOD ON BOARD APPEAL...
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BLOOD ON BOARD APPEAL
Could you be one of 60 people donating £500 to get us to the £30,000 needed to keep flying blood to those who need it most?
T HE
Having
£500 PL
EDGE
BLOOD ON BOARD NEEDS YOU
Each year EHAAT’s critical care teams treat approximately 60 patients who are in critical need of a blood transfusion at the scene of an incident. On average it costs £500 for us to help one patient in need of blood. Can you help us raise £30,000 to secure blood on board into the future. In return for your £500 donation, EHAAT’s Blood Project Lead Laurie Phillipson will be in touch to update you about the Blood on Board project.
to make it happen
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Blood Blood that is donated to the NHS is separated into different components. EHAAT’s critical care teams use bags of O negative red blood cells, which are delivered to our airbases by the Essex Voluntary Blood Service.
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Cool Box Specialist cool boxes with an electronic temperature tag are used to transport our blood products on every mission. They keep blood at a controlled temperature to preserve it in the best possible condition. The bags reduce the risk of the blood products freezing or overheating and decrease the risk of wastage. Unused blood is returned to The Princess Alexandra Hospital after each shift.
Blood Plasma Blood plasma is another component of blood. This can be combined with red blood cells or used alone to treat a critically ill patient. Red blood cells and blood plasma form an effective blood replacement for our shocked and bleeding patients.
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Blood Warmer When a patient requires a blood transfusion the red blood cells and blood plasma are warmed to body temperature. This makes them safe to administer and helps prevent hypothermia.
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YOUR GIVING MATTERS so people like Martin can be here to share their story Martin*, like many of the critically ill patients we attend, had sustained a high-energy collision affecting every part of his body. He had multiple injuries, including a collapsed lung, and multiple points of bleeding. The combined blood loss from such injuries can be fatal. Martin’s blood pressure was dropping rapidly due to the blood loss. On scene, the team were able to resuscitate Martin and use O negative packed red blood cells and plasma to support his circulation, enabling them to fly him to a major trauma centre. We are delighted to hear that Martin is now making a good recovery.
BLOOD ON BOARD APPEAL THANK YOU YOUR £500 WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE I would like to donate £500, enough to help one critically ill patient in need of blood.
Name Address
Postcode Telephone Email
Cheque donation *name changed for case study
Please make cheques payable to Essex & Herts Air Ambulance. Quote reference B21 on the reverse of your cheque.
OR Credit/Debit Card donation
YOUR £500 COULD SAVE THE LIFE OF ONE CRITICALLY ILL PATIENT IN NEED OF BLOOD HOW TO GIVE: RETURN THE FORM ATTACHED WITH A CHEQUE OR YOUR PAYMENT DETAILS
DONATE AT EHAAT.ORG/BLOODAPPEAL
Card No. Card expiry date A member of the EHAAT team will telephone donors to take the security code.
Send us your completed form in an envelope marked ‘Freepost ESSEX & HERTS AIR AMBULANCE’. Please do not add any additional information to the envelope as we will be charged a fee. Any funds received over and above the £30,000 target will be used to help us provide our ongoing life-saving service.
LTERNATIVELY, CALL 0345 2417 690 A AND QUOTE REFERENCE B21 TO MAKE A CREDIT/DEBIT CARD DONATION
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FUNDRAISING
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE ON THE GROUND WHO KEEPS US IN THE AIR We continue to be astounded by the determination and dedication of you, our supporters, who have rallied to support the charity in these tough times. From virtual workouts to shaving your head, you have done it all! We are sorry we cannot feature all of our outstanding fundraisers on these pages, but we wholeheartedly want to thank everyone who takes the time to fundraise for us. Every penny from your fundraising activities goes towards helping to save lives.
Ivan Hanner Ivan from Tollesbury used his time during the first lockdown to fix and sell bicycles, resulting in raising £2,809 for the charity.
Rotary Club of Ware John and Sue Meischke and members of the Rotary Club of Ware held their own ‘A Very British Afternoon Tea’ and raised a fantastic £1,000.
Harry Hayden Even though his mum and dad liked his hair as it was, determined Harry’s ‘Mohawk Madness’ haircut raised over £220 for the charity.
Tom Warmington EHAAT Chaplain Tom broadcast one of his services from North Weald Airbase to 1,500 parishioners raising just under £500 for EHAAT.
Lyn Cast Lyn from Leigh-On-Sea donated £532.76 from her two-day art exhibition. It even got into the local papers.
Stebbing’s Vintage Tractor Run More than 50 tractors turned out for last year’s event in September. The run entertained many spectators and raised £3,200 for the charity.
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Nuthampstead Shooting Ground The Ground held their annual shoot in memory of EHAAT supporter, Martin Baker. The day was attended by Olympic and Commonwealth Games shooters and raised £2,791.
Ashdon & Saffron Walden Young Famers Lucy from the Young Farmers group presented us with a cheque for £6,600 following the group’s black tie ball fundraiser in early 2020.
Manor of Groves Golf Club The club named EHAAT as their Charity of the Year for their 2019 season and were able to raise a fantastic total of £7,300 through the support of their members.
Mark Andrews Mark from Watford managed to include a helicopter in his Christmas lights display last year! Donations on his JustGiving page alone totalled £385 for the charity.
#2SuitsAndAGolfCourse The charity golf event hosted by Lambert Chapman and Birkett Long saw players tackle 18 holes at 18 different courses all in one day. The event raised an amazing £6,507.91 for EHAAT’s Air Ambulance Week.
Craig Griffiths and friends Airlifted patient Craig and a group of friends cycled from Luton to Southend stopping at the North Weald Airbase, where Craig thanked the crew in person. The group raised £5,000 including Gift Aid.
Images not showing social distancing were outside of lockdown restrictions or are in line with guidance of bubbles.
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FUNDRAISING
AIR AMBULANCE WEEK’S YOUNG SUPERSTARS! Although our fundraisers couldn’t get out and about as much as usual, we still had a successful week of fundraising during Air Ambulance Week (7th to 13th September) during which we raised nearly £14,000. We are particularly grateful to two very special young people who helped boost the success of the week. Firstly, we premiered a short film on our social media featuring the family of two-year-old Charlotte Smith from Hitchin who was moments away from choking to death in 2019 when EHAAT’s critical care team were able to clear her airway and get her breathing again. Six-year-old Tom Goulding from Colchester, who was attended by an EHAAT crew in 2018 after he was hit by an out-ofcontrol cyclist, ran a mile each day of Air Ambulance Week in aid of the charity and raised an incredible £576. Tom’s efforts even brought him to the attention of the Daily Mirror’s Pride of Britain Awards page on Facebook. Natasha Robertson, Fundraising Manager at EHAAT said: “Everyone at the charity has been touched by Tom’s story and his determination to raise money to support our work. He should be really proud of what he has achieved. We also really appreciate the way Charlotte’s parents have allowed us to share their story and encouraged others to support us. Usually, Air Ambulance Week sees staff and volunteers from EHAAT out and about at bucket collections across Essex and Hertfordshire, but only a handful of these were possible this year due to social distancing restrictions. Natasha continued: “We had to do things differently this year. Instead of our usual collections, we asked people to donate online via our ‘virtual bucket’ which meant supporters could still get involved from the safety of their own homes during Air Ambulance Week. We are grateful to everyone who has been able to support us and in particular Charlotte, Tom and their families.”
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LLOYD’S OF LONDON We are delighted that EHAAT was awarded £20,000 by Lloyd’s of London following our nomination by Lisa Knight, a member of Lloyd’s staff. The specialist insurance market released £15 million to help charities facing a funding gap because of the impact of COVID-19. Only employees of Lloyd’s of London could apply for the money, so it was fantastic that Lisa’s nomination was successful. Lisa said: “I am grateful to Lloyd’s for offering me the chance to nominate EHAAT and was over the moon when I found out that a grant had been awarded.” If your employer has a charity grant nomination scheme, match funds employee fundraising or has a ‘Charity of the Year’ programme, please consider supporting EHAAT.
CORPORATE WEBINAR
Screenshot from the 3D airbase tour
In November, we held our first ever corporate virtual webinar as a way of engaging with some of our brilliant business supporters. With over a hundred people viewing the event, it was a resounding success. CEO Jane Gurney gave a fascinating overview of how we have adapted and responded to a changing world during the pandemic. Attendees also had the chance to see an amazing 3D tour of our existing North Weald Airbase with Patient Liaison Managers Tony Stone and Adam Carr. They also heard how an EHAAT critical care team saved the life of two-year-old Charlotte Smith from Hitchin who almost died after choking at nursery. To conclude the webinar, Fundraising Manager Natasha Robertson hosted a Q&A session where EHAAT’s executive team responded to questions from the audience. The response we’ve had to this event has been really positive, and we are looking at how we can build on this success in the future. It is with much excitement that on Wednesday 10th March we are holding our second virtual webinar aimed at groups and societies in the area. The one-hour webinar will provide members of groups and societies an insight into the charity, a behind-the-scenes 3D tour and a chance to ask your questions to the charity’s executive team. If you belong to a group or society and your members are interested in attending this free event, please book your space at ehaat.org/webinar
in ke part family ta d n a e Christin
r Flights Lights fo
FESTIVE FUNDRAISING In the run up to Christmas, homes across Essex and Hertfordshire were lit up in support of our ‘Lights for Flights’ initiative and the week before Christmas, we held our firstever Online Christmas Event, which was free to attend. At the end of a challenging year for everyone, this was our way of giving thanks for the support the charity has received. Over two hundred supporters joined us from the comfort of their own homes to enjoy some carol songs from the choir at Earls Colne’s Church, and festive contributions from our crew, airlifted patients, volunteers and CEO Jane Gurney. Members of the clinical team, charity staff and volunteers came together for a very special performance of some classic festive songs, recorded especially for the event. We can confidently say you’d never seen a choir quite like that!
The Funky Voice Cho ir leading th Choir for th e EHAAT e Online C hristmas Ev ent
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RETAIL/VOLUNTEERING
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE MUCKY Sometimes you can be a victim of your own success. At the end of last June, when the first lockdown restrictions were easing, the warehouse team were faced with hundreds of bags of donated goods from people who had been clearing out during their time at home. Reluctantly, the decision was taken to close the warehouse to new donations for a week to allow the team to deal with the backlog before accepting donations only on specific days. Our warehouse staff are used to dealing with surprise donations, but even they were shocked that the contents of many of the hundreds of bags they had to sort contained domestic waste. When it became necessary to hire commercial waste skips to dispose of these items, we let the local media know about the problem, and it received widespread coverage. The story featured in the local papers, Donna Lee, our Head of Retail, did a live interview on BBC Three Counties Radio and ITV Anglia visited the warehouse to film a news report. Following the publicity, the team saw an increase in donations from people who had previously been unaware that we had a warehouse in Stevenage.
BRAINTREE’S £1 OFFERING Once the latest lockdown restrictions lift and our shops can safely re-open, you’ll spot a change if you visit our Braintree charity shop – focusing on items costing just £1! So keep your eyes peeled for some bargains with a fantastic selection of clothes, shoes and bags, with everything apart from a small selection of furniture costing just £1. Even if you have items that will sell for much more than this, these can still be donated via our Braintree shop, as they can be sold elsewhere. Donated goods are carefully examined by our warehouse team and then sold in the most appropriate way to raise funds for the charity.
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The team have continued to adapt to changing circumstances. Following the reopening, the warehouse team have held two sale days which raised over £1,700, and the team introduced a ‘click and collect’ service via the Facebook pages of individual shops. Remember, you can find up to date information on how to support our shops at ehaat.org/shops.
EBAY Amongst the mountains of donations following lockdown, our retail team left no stone unturned in their search for items that might help bring in extra income for the charity. The team and volunteers uncovered some wonderful treasures amongst the donations including Lalique Glass (said to be the finest in the world), collectable trains, home appliances and an amazing Ferrari Dino Lights and Badge set which raised £499. Another highlight recently was the Arsenal signed shirt donated by volunteer Sue Akers which went for £123! Whilst our charity shops have had to close in the lockdown, our eBay site remains open and open to bids! You can find it by typing in ‘eBay Essex & Herts Air Ambulance’ on your preferred search engine. Happy bidding!
Volunteer, Sandra, digs through donations for eBay
teers r Volun Vision fo on Zoom d presente
Richard is presented at a distance with his award from Volunteer Manager Jane Morton
VOLUNTEERS Our army of more than 400 volunteers play a vital part in raising awareness of our work and generating income for the charity. Some of them have been with us for a decade or more. Their contribution is normally acknowledged each year at our annual Vision for Volunteers event. As it wasn’t possible to meet in person for the 2020 event, everyone gathered ‘virtually’ on Zoom to look back on a challenging year and consider the future. During the event, our volunteers heard from Jonathan Trower, Chair of Trustees and the Executive Team shared our future plans. CEO Jane Gurney ‘presented’ framed helicopter photos with a personal message to Barbara Hunt and Christine Thomas in recognition of 15 years of volunteering.
Volunteers Pam and Roger Corrie receive their 10 year recognition award
Jane Gurney and Volunteer Manager Jane Morton were also delighted to make virtual presentations of our 10-year recognition glass award to Kate Butcher, Richard Clegg, Jill Cook, Pam and Roger Corrie, Peter Gooch, Sarah Hailey, Brenda Harvey, Dr John Horton, Kate Lloyd-Davies, Roger Smith, Jan Turnbull, Shema Williams and Veronica Woodbridge. The volunteers then received their awards via socially-distant presentations (or through the post) after the event. Our thanks go to all our volunteers who have continued to support the charity through these difficult times. ehaat.org
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LOTTERY
AS OUR ABILITY TO PROMOTE THE LOTTERY VIA CANVASSERS AND IN PERSON WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN RESTRICTED, OUR MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS HAVE REDUCED. IN THE LONG-TERM THIS COULD HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON OUR INCOME. CAN YOU HELP? The Flight for Life Lottery, which was launched in 1998, is a major and important source of income for the charity. In the last three years alone, it has raised more than £20 million. This equates to 9,091 potentially life-saving missions! As well as the standard lottery, which has a guaranteed top prize of £1,000 and is won each week, there is the Superdraw. The Superdraw can be entered for an additional £1 per week. Four unique numbers between 1 and 45 are allocated to supporters and if they are not matched then the prize fund is rolled over until it is won (to a maximum of £25,000!) Since April 2020 we have had 12 members win prizes over £10,000 and 1 lucky supporter winning the rollover jackpot of £25,000! What would you do if you won? Garden makeover? DIY project? New car? Plan a well-deserved holiday? Here’s some responses from our lucky winners in 2020…
“I joined the Flight for Life Lottery following a visit to my door by an EHAAT canvasser; he was so engaging that I felt motivated to sign up. I felt it important to support this local charity especially as I travel on the M11, and hope that I never have to use them! Winning this money has meant that I could be more generous at Christmas with gifts and have a ‘buffer’ as we live through these difficult times. I am looking forward to a family holiday when we are able to travel again. I would encourage everyone to join as it is a great way of giving with the chance of winning at the same time”. Liz from Bishops Stortford won £14,814 in October 2020
“The call to say we had won came at a really difficult period in our lives, and it was very welcome, and fantastic news. When I joined up following a meeting with a canvasser, winning was not my motivation as I wanted to support a local worthwhile charity. This win has given us stability financially, as well as planning a family holiday that we had to postpone previously”. Mr J from Hitchin – won the £25k Jackpot in May 2020
“I was delighted to receive the call to tell me I had won! This was a timely win as it meant I could support my family; especially my grandchildren as they are at university. This was totally unexpected and I am grateful. I have supported EHAAT as it is a local and worthy cause”.
Winner from Bedfordshire – won £19,851 in September 2020
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FLIGHT FOR LIFE MAGAZINE | WINTER/SPRING 2021
If you have not joined, remember – you have to be in it to win it! It’s simple to sign up: visit ehaat.org/lottery or call us on 0345 2417 688 and we will do the rest.
If you are already a member, please help us spread the word and refer a friend, work colleague or neighbour – they will be helping their local air ambulance remain operational and have the opportunity of winning at the same time. It’s a win-win!
NEW AIRBASE NEARS COMPLETION We are really excited that our brand-new airbase at North Weald will become operational this summer. As you can see from these photographs, there has been a huge amount of progress since we received planning permission in December 2019 and celebrated the start of work with a ‘breaking ground’ event in February 2020. You can see from the most recent images that the final touches are taking place to the building’s exterior.
Following the handover of the building, we have started working on the interior fit-out. Our clinical team will then transfer from our existing base in the next few months, and be joined by our Hertfordshire fundraising team soon after. This is the biggest development in the charity’s history. Thank you to each and every one of you who has supported EHAAT and made this amazing building possible.
December 2019 – Planning permission is granted
February 2020 – Breaking ground
July 2020 – Structure is in place
April 2020 – The cranes are in
September 2020 – Nearing exterior completion
January 2021 – It’s all coming together
ehaat.org
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It takes more than just heroes on the frontline – Regular donations from people like you propel our life-saving service everyday, as we bring the hospital to the people who need us most.
Thank you Sign up at ehaat.org/hero or send us this completed form in an envelope marked ‘Freepost ESSEX & HERTS AIR AMBULANCE’. Please do not add any additional information to the envelope as we will be charged a fee.
Instruction to your bank or building society to pay by Direct Debit
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The Direct Debit Guarantee • This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits. • If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust will notify you 10 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request.
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