Anglia Lift Off issue 42 spring 2016

LiftOff Anglia

Issue 42 Spring 2016

DAWN OF A NEW CHAPTER FOR EAAA AIRCRAFT BRAVE TEENAGER Airlifted Molly featured on TV Page 4

IN TRAINING Meet the EAAA marathon runners Page 12

We need you today You may need us tomorrow Donate £5 Text Heli to 70500 Charity No. 1083876

PEDAL POWER Cyclists raise thousands Page 28

Anglia

LiftOff ISSUE 42 SPRING 2016

Contents Molly’s remarkable recovery

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Farewell to Gary

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Recent missions

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Saving lives by saving time

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Pilot’s marathon challenge

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Bond night boost

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Great summer events

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Our stars of Stotfold

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Lottery winners

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Firm sponsors CPR

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Try a cycling challenge

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Couple’s lasting legacy

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Contact Us

Your regional fundraiser: North Cambridgeshire/West Norfolk – Chris Donaldson 94 Culley Court, Orton Southgate, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE2 6WA 01733 367208 / christopher.donaldson@eaaa.org.uk South Cambridgeshire – Barbara McGee Melbourn Science Park, Cambridge Road, Melbourn SG8 6EE 01763 262697 / barbara.mcgee@eaaa.org.uk Suffolk – Jenny MacPherson 9 Alpha Business Park, White House Road, Ipswich IP1 5LT 01473 745007 / jenny.macpherson@eaaa.org.uk Norfolk – Holly Lambert Hangar E, Gambling Close, Norwich Airport, Norwich NR6 6EG 01603 489406 / holly.lambert@eaaa.org.uk Bedfordshire – Kay Marter Unit 1 Water End Barns, Eversholt, Nr Woburn, Bedfordshire MK17 9EA 01525 718517 / kay.marter@eaaa.org.uk General enquiries: 0845 066 9999 Website: eaaa.org.uk Email: info@eaaa.org.uk Lottery: lottery@eaaa.org.uk

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Charity number:

1083876

Editor: Advertising: Design: Print:

Clare Phillips liftoff@eaaa.org.uk Marina Jacobs 07727 749208 barberjackson.com barnwellprint.co.uk

EAAA.ORG.UK

Welcome Spring is in the air and soon the clocks will be going forward, bringing lighter evenings and, before long, our region will become even busier with day-trippers and holiday makers.

Thanks to your support our helicopters can continue to provide pre-hospital emergency care by day and night wherever it’s needed in our four counties. In this issue of Anglia Lift Off find out about people we’ve helped recently and some of the imaginative, energetic and fun-filled ways of raising money you’ve come up with.

This year we’ll need to raise over £10 million to continue saving lives. There are many ways to help us do this, but it’s not all about giving money.

At this time of year more and more fundraising

CBP0001811802160518

By using Carbon Balanced Paper through the World Land Trust on this publication we have offset 4433kg of Carbon & preserved 372sqm of critically threatened tropical forests.

Carbon Balanced Paper. One of the most sustainable forms of communication that will reduce your carbon foot print and promote CSR. www.carbonbalancepaper.com

Cover picture: Sunrise at Cambridge Airport

by Dr Jeremy Mauger

events are organised and we always welcome people who can give a few hours to help at these. There are so many different roles for our volunteers that there is bound to be something you’ll find both fun and rewarding. More details on page 20.

By the time you receive this, our new Anglia One helicopter will have gone into service in Norwich. This is another H145 aircraft the same as Anglia Two (pictured on the cover), which operates from Cambridge. Its purchase was made possible by a donation from the fines imposed on banks who manipulated the LIBOR financial benchmark. It was announced in last year’s Budget together with similar funding for several other air ambulance charities. This aircraft is vastly superior to its predecessor and will enable our medical crew to carry out procedures in flight that previously hadn’t been possible.

The fundraising efforts of our supporters never cease to amaze me and as we go to press we are all looking forward to our first ever obstacle course race, Only The Brave, at Elveden on March 20. Around 1,300 participants will tackle the tough and muddy courses including a number of EAAA staff. A team of crew members from Anglia Two is among them and if you are not able to be there to cheer them on, then I know they would appreciate any support you can give on their sponsorship page, where you can read more about why they’ve decided to give up their valuable free time to do this. It’s at www.justgiving.com/ EAAAteamCambridgeHeroes.

Another hardy bunch of people have been training throughout the winter to take part in the Virgin Money London Marathon in April, again raising money for EAAA. Some of them have a strong connection to our service – their stories start on page 12.

Finally, I wanted to share with you the efforts of some of our younger supporters who have been designing posters to hang in our base at Cambridge Airport. Pictured above are criticalcare paramedic Rob Riches and Dr Ed Gold who were given the extremely difficult task of picking the winners from the posters made by pupils at Emneth Primary School near Wisbech. The school has chosen EAAA as their charity of the year and we look forward to working with them this term.

Whether you have supported us for many years or this is the first time you have seen Anglia Lift Off, thank you for taking the trouble to find out more about our work. I hope this will not only inspire you but also give you an insight into the critical work of the air ambulance teams.

Together, we save lives.

Joanna Dew Director of Fundraising

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TV documentary features airlifted Molly Teenager Molly Goodchild’s life was changed in an instant when she was hit by a van in December 2014 as she walked home with a friend. Her parents Lucy and Lloyd had just set off for a shopping trip, but returned home because they’d forgotten something and found Molly’s friend frantically trying to raise the alarm.

Molly was unconscious for 10 days and even now can’t remember anything about the accident as she suffered with Post Traumatic Amnesia. Due to the traumatic brain injury the 14-year-old sustained, she had to learn how to do everything again including eating, walking and talking. She lived at The Children’s Trust Rehabilitation Centre for five months after leaving hospital, where she had regular sessions in occupational therapy, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy and play in order to relearn the skills she had before her accident.

Lucy rushed to the scene of the accident where Molly had suffered head and leg injuries. The air ambulance had been called and Dr Vicky Smith and critical-care paramedic Jemma Varela were soon landing nearby aboard Anglia Two. Jemma and Vicky swiftly worked to stabilise Molly and to protect her brain. She was anaesthetised at the side of the road and her legs were placed in splints, before she was airlifted to the Royal London Hospital. Lucy said: “For a mother it is just the worst thing imaginable. I don’t remember the helicopter landing but I saw Molly put onto a stretcher and I remember looking up and watching the helicopter disappearing as they flew her to the Royal London Hospital.

Then we were taken there by the police under a blue light.”

Almost a year after the accident Molly’s story was shown on television in a CBBC documentary ‘My Life: Knocked Back.’ It wasn’t an easy programme for Molly to watch but it turned her into something of a local celebrity when she was out with her mum the next day and approached by shoppers who recognised her.

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I’m glad that I got to see what saved my life, although the helicopter was smaller inside than I thought it would be.

As part of the programme Molly was filmed visiting the air ambulance crew who treated her. Dr Vicky Smith said: “I was amazed to see how well Molly is, and how far she has come. When I saw her at the roadside I was very worried about her. It was a pleasure to meet her again in happier circumstances.”

Critical-care paramedic Jemma Varela added: “Molly has worked so hard. Her family have been so wonderfully supportive throughout this process and have helped Molly hugely.” Visiting Cambridge Airport was also an emotional experience for Molly. She said: “It was exciting but upsetting at the same time because it reminded me of the accident. I’m glad that I got to see what saved my life, although the helicopter was smaller inside than I thought it would be.”

In the time since the programme was shown on TV Molly has worked hard to ensure she continues to make excellent progress. She set herself a target of being able to walk on her own by Christmas and her next hope is that she will be able to run again. Taking the family dog for a walk was something

that the family wondered whether she’d ever be able to do again as 2014 came to a close, but now it’s another achievement that she has been able to tick off.

Brother Freddie (11) and sister Nancy (16) have supported Molly all the way through her recovery by encouraging her to practice the exercises from her physiotherapist and helping her get out and about. Now she is thinking about raising some money for EAAA. Mum Lucy added: “It’s remarkable how she has learned to do everything again – and now that she never stops talking I think I might have to challenge her to undertake a sponsored silence for charity!”

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NEWS New role for Gary One of our longest-serving critical-care paramedics Gary Steward is keeping his feet on the ground again after 14 years of service with EAAA. Gary has moved on to another job within the ambulance service.

of us within the service thank him for all that he has done and send him our very best wishes for the future. We’re looking forward to staying in touch and hope to see him working with our crews from time to time.”

Gary’s colleagues described the work he had done with new pieces of equipment they used as second to none. He would research everything rigorously to provide the best of the best and would assess each for its suitability for aircraft and RRVs (Rapid Response Vehicles). In his quest for continuing improvement in patient care he investigated European practices and undertook independent research to consider new angles.

In thanking Gary for his work with the organisation, Chief Executive Patrick Peal said: “We will really miss Gary – his organisation is impeccable and he has been a fantastic ambassador for EAAA. All

Second H145 arrives As Anglia Lift Off went to press we were just about to take delivery of the new helicopter that will be based at Norwich with the call sign Anglia One. This is the second H145 for EAAA and will bring the advantages in medical care and aviation already enjoyed by our crews operating out of Cambridge on Anglia Two. In our next issue we’ll have an update on the launch of the new Anglia One and some of the lifesaving work it undertakes.

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Christmas draw winners We’d like to thank everyone who bought tickets for our Christmas draw, which was made shortly after the last issue of Anglia Lift Off was sent out.

The winners were: £3,000 – Mr M. Larham, March, Cambs; £1,000 – T. Rounce, Wymondham, Norfolk; £500 – Mr T. Roberts, Comberton, Cambs.

There were 10 prizes of £50 which were won by: Miss N. Griffiths, Mrs Valentine and Mr B. Snellgrove all in Norfolk; Mr J. Mundell, Mrs C. Garner and Mrs E. Mutton all in Cambridgeshire; Mrs R. Pledger, Mrs L. Scruby and Mrs G. Shotter all in Suffolk and Mrs J. Barrow in Hertfordshire.

Social media highlights Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for regular postings about news, events and pictures. Find us on Facebook as East Anglian Air Ambulance Charity and on Twitter as @EastAngliAirAmb. We also have Facebook and Twitter pages for each of the four counties we cover and regularly share their content and we’re on YouTube and Pinterest too. Here’s what people have been talking about recently: Angela Sutherland Thinking of the amazing team that helped our little boy two years ago today when he was only six months old. Look at him now!

He may not have been here without you.

Forever grateful @newmarketjogger Newmarket Joggers are proud to launch their 2016 Heath Race & Stable/Stud Challenge for East Anglian Air Ambulance Friends of the Dunston Harriers Thank you to all the ‘Hare Raisers’, who partied hard at the Hare Raisers Ball and enabled us to make this donation of £1,500 to the East Anglian Air Ambulance... A great achievement for the Dunston Harriers to be able to support such a great cause.

Website relaunch Our website www.eaaa.org.uk has been given a new look. We have been working with Cambridge-based Studio 24 who have redesigned the site for us and it went live at the start of the year.

If you haven’t visited the new site yet please take a look – and perhaps send us some feedback to let us know what you think of it.

@BenCarpenter79 The final count is in! The beard for a year made a magnificent £1505.19 for @EastAngliAirAmb. Thank you all so much! #NeverAgain.

Norfolk Brewhouse Pleased to be able to support you with the Maris Otter 50 Beer Festival & Anniversary celebrations and donation of nearly £700.

Thanks to all who came along, drank beer and donated so generously. Cheers! @BedsGuides Super to see Tracey featured in the winter issue of the East Anglian Air Ambulance magazine – Anglia Lift Off.

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Recent Missions Read about our missions and view the mission map at eaaa.org.uk These pages show a snapshot of the incidents we attend.

Taken a picture of Anglia One or Anglia Two? We could feature it here – send it to liftoff@eaaa.org.uk

Facts and figures since our last issue

This stunning picture of Anglia Two was taken when the aircraft was tasked to a night-time incident in Luton, landing in a park. Nearby resident Michal Malec said that he grabbed his camera as he heard the helicopter landing and went out to take a picture, which he shared on Facebook. He added: “People gathered to chat to the pilot and shared some warm words of appreciation.” The clinicians were treating a man who had suffered a neck injury.

Between October and December

462 missions and more than 10% of these (49) involved flying after dark. Our crews treated 298 patients with 116 attended by Anglia One and 182 by Anglia Two. The

we were called to a total of

number of patients airlifted to hospital

38. During this quarter we attended more road collisions (106)

was

than any other type of emergency.

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Anglia One landed close to the waterside in Gorleston when the crew were called to a road collision.

They treated a casualty who’d been cut free from one of the vehicles by the fire service.

Five people were injured in a multivehicle road accident near Ipswich.

The air ambulance clinicians worked with their colleagues from the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) to treat the casualties who were then taken to hospital by road.

Both helicopters were tasked to a road collision in Norfolk. The crew of Anglia One attended to a young boy who’d suffered multiple injuries and was airlifted to hospital. A woman who’d also suffered multiple injuries was treated by the crew of Anglia Two who travelled with her to hospital by road.

The emergency services worked together at the scene of a single vehicle road accident, which was attended by Anglia One. The casualty was treated at the scene for multiple injuries and accompanied to hospital by the air ambulance medics.

In one of our busiest weekends of the year, in which we were tasked to nine patients three of whom were airlifted, Anglia Two was, most unusually, called three times to the same motocross meeting in Suffolk. Racing was suspended each time for the aircraft to land and one casualty was flown to hospital in Bury St Edmunds with the other two taken by road, accompanied by the air ambulance clinicians. This picture of the aircraft waiting for the crew at the hospital was kindly sent to us by supporter Rebecca George who was walking her dog nearby.

One of our pilots, Captain Neil Waller, took this picture of Anglia One on the helipad at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital as he waited for the medical crew who had taken a patient in for emergency treatment.

The crew of Anglia One treated a woman who’d suffered a broken ankle in a horse-riding incident in rural Norfolk. The patient, who was in her twenties, was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital by road.

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Delivering Excellence

Many people are aware that the EAAA aircraft are crewed by a doctor and paramedic team. But perhaps less widely known are the specialist skills and advanced training that our paramedics have undertaken to hold the position of critical-care paramedic (CCP). This enables them to carry out procedures and administer drugs that a paramedic on a land ambulance may not be able to.

The CCPs undertake a post-graduate qualification in advanced paramedic practice, such as the Masters degree from the University Hertfordshire.

Courses such as this enhance the clinicians’ existing knowledge as well as advance their professional skills including anaesthesia. Areas such as leadership and problem solving which are also essential in the field of prehospital emergency medicine are also developed.

Critical-care paramedic Chris Neil has 23 years’ experience in pre-hospital care, first with the military and then in the ambulance service. He has flown

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with EAAA for around three and a half years. In addition to this he has worked in the intensive care unit at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital as part of his further training, allowing him to work alongside doctors and giving him the skills to work on his own or alongside another critical-care paramedic should that be necessary.

Chris said: “The role of the air ambulance team has changed over the years. Pre-hospital care really can be the difference between life and death – it’s not just about getting someone through the doors of A & E as fast as possible now, but it’s those key

patient will be safe in their hands even if that hospital is some distance away.

Pre-hospital care really can be the difference between life and death

interventions early on that are critical to a patient’s survival.

“However time at the scene is also of the essence and we need to make sure that we are doing everything for a reason and no time is wasted.

The pilots help us immensely in this by telling us, perhaps at five minute intervals, how long we have been treating a patient. The CCP acts almost like a Sergeant Major at the incident, pushing everyone along including our own team and the other emergency services and adapting quickly to changing circumstances, such as moving a patient into the back of an ambulance if we are working outside and the weather changes.”

The amount of equipment carried by the air ambulance is also vastly different to that on the land vehicles, meaning the CCP has to think quickly about how it might be used as they prepare the patient for the journey to hospital either by road or by air. The doctor and CCP can ensure that the patient is taken to the most appropriate hospital for their needs whether that’s Addenbrooke’s for a trauma patient or one of the hospitals specialising in cardiac care and the

Chris added: “We work closely with our colleagues from the East of England Ambulance Service Trust at the scene of an emergency to prepare the patient for a journey. This could mean that we need to make the patient warmer or cooler – for example getting too cold can affect blood clotting to a patient who is bleeding but after a cardiac arrest a patient may need to be kept cooler.”

A variety of blankets are carried by the helicopters for this purpose including a blizzard blanket which is similar to a so-called space blanket with air pockets within it to keep a patient warm and can be closed or re-opened to allow treatment to be given. Another blanket used is similar to a sleeping bag which again can be opened and closed wherever treatment and monitoring is needed.

The way in which the EAAA medical teams work is unique in the UK and continually developing. Chris said: “The level of post-graduate training is very advanced and our ongoing training allows us to deliver the best possible care from the earliest possible opportunity at the scene.”

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Virgin Money London Marathon This year EAAA has one of its biggest groups of runners taking part in the Virgin Money London Marathon to raise funds for the charity. The event starts from Blackheath and Greenwich on Sunday April 24.

Five runners successfully applied for one of the charity’s gold bond places and another 11 have let us know that they will be using their own place from the official ballot to raise money. This year’s event will make history as one participant will be the one millionth runner to cross the finish line since the very first London Marathon in 1981 – will it be someone in an EAAA vest?

Many of the runners have chosen EAAA for reasons close to their heart and between them they are hoping to raise thousands of pounds. Read their stories here and overleaf.

High-flying pilot keeps his feet on the ground Among the runners who have one of our charity places this year is EAAA Senior Pilot Captain Dave Kelly. This will be the first time Dave, who works out of Cambridge Airport flying the Anglia Two aircraft, has run a marathon but he has been inspired by other

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EAAA colleagues from the medical and fundraising teams who have undertaken the challenge in previous years.

Dave said: “I admire the good work of EAAA but I’m also aware that the charity needs to keep raising funds and awareness of its work. I hope that I can contribute to that by taking part in the marathon.”

Dave is hoping to complete the marathon in around four hours.

His online fundraising page can be found at www.justgiving.com/ DaveKellyEAAAPilot/ and he hopes to attend other EAAA events during the early part of 2016 to help with his fundraising drive.

Katy runs in Grandad’s memory Pilates instructor Katy Walker (25), from Old Buckenham, Norfolk, will be running her second London Marathon having taken on the challenge last year in aid of the British Heart Foundation. Katy chose to support them after losing her Grandad a few years earlier to a sudden heart attack. This year she has opted to run in his memory again, raising money for a cause he was passionate about. In applying for a gold bond place Katy said: “My Grandad

was a thoughtful man who researched carefully in order to select those charities that he felt he wanted to support and his favourite charity was the East Anglian Air Ambulance. It is something that my whole family would love to support and something which he would highly endorse.”

Katy, whose fundraising is supported by the physiotherapy practice she works for, Back in Motion, completed last year’s event in just under five hours but is looking for a time of 4hours 20min this year. To raise money Katy has made and sold Christmas cards and organised a tea party.

Her online sponsorship page is at: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ KatyWalker Georgia’s first marathon Georgia Coles (23) from Bedford is attempting her first marathon after seeing her father raise funds for EAAA when he celebrated his 50th birthday. As a keen motorcyclist he knows the importance of the charity to bikers and Georgia is keen to carry on that support.

Colleagues at the chain of barbers’ shops where Georgia works have already pledged to support her and will be making the trip to London to cheer her on in April. Georgia said she expects the training to be hard work, but it will be worth it if she can help make a difference. Sponsor Georgia at www.justgiving.com/ georgiacoles92

Richard’s rocky start Another gold bond runner is Richard Mead from Cambridge who is also completing his first marathon and looking for a time of 4hours 30min.

Although he says his training got off to something of a rocky start as he struggled to complete three miles in November, he’s now pleased with how well it’s going as he follows the plan on the London Marathon website.

Richard, who works as transport manager in the family construction firm, was inspired to support EAAA by a colleague who volunteered for the charity.

Among his sponsorship activities is a ‘swear box’ in the office. He said: “Mead Construction is a family business so we have a lot of friendly bickering. The company will also match fund the first £500 I raise.”

Visit Richard’s fundraising page at: www.justgiving.com/Richard-Mead3 Tom’s following in friends’ footsteps Inspired by friends who have taken part in marathons to raise money for EAAA, Tom Durrell (30) is also taking up the challenge for the first time. Tom, who runs his own business in Norwich, not far from the EAAA offices, has met people who have been helped by the charity and who raise money for it. He said: “I know runners that have previously run for the charity and wish to continue in their footsteps.” Although Tom’s training suffered setbacks with ankle and knee injuries then having a sickness bug he got back on track with the aim of completing the run in 3hours 30min. Support Tom at: www.justgiving.com/Tom-Durrell

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Virgin Money London Marathon [cont.]

Marathon runners remember Tom Two runners who were awarded places in the ballot for the London Marathon have both, independently of each other, decided to raise money for EAAA in memory of a man both of them knew.

previously been a keen runner at school.

However, as she was at university at the time she admits that socialising affected her training, but she still completed it in just over four and a half hours. This year she’s hoping to go under four hours. Support Flip at: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ FelicityFoulds

Tom Gentle, who was a highly respected yachtsman, died in an accident at a Norfolk sailing club as he was preparing for an annual race on the Broads. The air ambulance attended along with other emergency services but his life could not be saved. Just a week after his death 24-year-old sailing coach Flip Foulds heard that she had got a place in the ballot for the marathon and decided she would use the opportunity to raise funds in his memory.

Meanwhile 22-year-old Mel Fewtrell, a fitness instructor from Norwich, is also running in memory of Tom. Mel, who is group exercise manager at Virgin Active, ran a spin class that Tom regularly attended. She said: “He was a true gentleman and thought very fondly of the charity. He is missed every single day.”

Flip, who lives near North Walsham, said: “I’m running the marathon in memory of a man who was very well respected at our club and is sorely missed. I know the charity was important to Tom as well.”

This isn’t the first time Flip has attempted the marathon as she also took part three years ago, having

The air ambulance that got Dean to hospital in double quick time saved his life

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Despite fitness being a big part of her life Mel admitted: “I don’t do much running and this will be my first marathon, but training has been going well and I am hoping for a time of around four hours.”

Both runners have fundraising activities planned, with Flip hoping to organise a raffle at a sailing event and also seeking sponsorship to not drink alcohol until after the marathon. Mel has been fundraising through work and has an online sponsorship page at: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ MelFewtrell Brother’s airlift inspired Michelle Michelle Richards (32) had always had ambitions to run a marathon but had

never plucked up the courage to apply until her brother was seriously injured in a freak accident last summer and airlifted

by EAAA to Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

Although this will be Michelle’s first marathon she has been running for some years and last year completed a half marathon. With two young children and a part time job too, Michelle from Thetford is hoping to raise sponsorship mainly through her online fundraising page, where she explains more about the accident involving her brother. She wrote: “We are almost certain that first response emergency car and the air ambulance that got Dean to hospital in double quick time saved his life that day.” Michelle’s page is at: www.justgiving.com/ Michelle-Richards21 Marathon will be no obstacle for Annie Obstacle race enthusiast Annie Smith (21) has been running since her schooldays and has already completed five half marathons. Although this will be her first marathon she’s also taken part in a number of tough and muddy obstacle course races and she is looking forward to the challenge of the marathon, which she hopes to complete in under four hours.

Annie, a hotel manager from Potton, Bedfordshire, chose to support EAAA after attending events organised by our South Cambridgeshire fundraising team. She said: “They do great things to help and support people.” Visit Annie’s page at www.justgiving.com/ AnnieSmith21

We are also grateful to a number of other runners who are supporting EAAA with places in the London Marathon including: Marilyn McCormack from Bedfordshire; Diane Smith, Joe Gowing and Lewis Dellar-Witt all from Norfolk; Stephen Anderson from Cambridgeshire; Georgie Armstrong from Cambridgeshire who is running to raise funds after both she and her mother were airlifted after separate riding accidents; Steve Nichols from Norfolk is running in memory of a friend who was airlifted from an accident but sadly did not survive.

Other running challenges If you’d like to run and raise money for EAAA but don’t want to do a 26.2 mile race there are a number of other challenges where runners are invited to support us. The Perkins Great Eastern Run is a half marathon on October 9. The traffic-free city centre course is flat and fast. Taking part and raising money for EAAA for the third time will be Allan Turpie (pictured) who was helped by the EAAA crew in 2012 after suffering a cardiac arrest on the rugby field. Allan has already raised over £500.

For those who’d like to attempt a slightly shorter distance the Grand East Anglia Run is a 10k race in King’s Lynn on May 1. Runners must be over the age of 15 on the day of the race. If you would like to take on either of these challenges please contact our Peterborough office (see page 2).

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Fundraising events enable our two air ambulance crews to continue saving lives. If you’d like to get involved please visit www.eaaa.org.uk or contact your local office (see page 2).

Flying doctor Sabeena Obaray got a glimpse of life as a Bond girl when she and other members of the Anglia One crew attended a special charity screening of the latest 007 film Spectre at the Riverside Odeon in Norwich. The guests were given red carpet treatment with champagne and canapes and a closeup view of four of James Bond’s iconic Aston Martins before the film began.

An auction, raffle and proceeds from ticket sales raised in excess of £12,500 and a donation of £2,000 was also made

by Barclays. We’re very grateful to the Stratton Motor Company, Winsor Bishop and Smith & Pinching who made the evening possible.

Across the region last Christmas homes and gardens were spectacularly lit up with the aim of raising funds for EAAA. Pictured here is the home of supporter Carl Colyer in Bedfordshire. Others who’ve raised money in this way include Mike Wilmott, Wayne and Trudy Gaylor, The Muskett family and Mr and Mrs Hogg. We also had a number of donations from individuals and organisations who did so in lieu of sending Christmas cards, with all of these activities contributing to a sum of more than £11,000.

An Open Day at the former Barrington Cement Works in Cambridgeshire has celebrated the re-building of the Barrington Light Railway. The event was also most generously supporting EAAA and pieces of the old railway were sold off as souvenirs. The line has been restored by CEMEX to serve the former quarry. The day raised over £1,600.

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Dogs and their owners helped raise nearly £4,700 at our Paws with a Cause sponsored walk at Glemham Hall in Suffolk. Taking a lead from this inaugural event we plan to do it all again this year and the date is booked for October 23. Tours of Glemham Hall will also be available. We are grateful to all who helped make this first event such a success including sponsors Skinners and Ipswich Veterinary Centre.

Wrapping presents and packing shopping in the run up to Christmas with the help of our volunteers across the region has raised over £3,000. Our teams spent a week in The Mall in Luton (pictured) gift wrapping presents and packed shopping bags over four days at Marks and Spencer in Cambridge for shoppers who donated generously.

Thank you ...

After EAAA helped save nineyear-old Maisie Moody’s Daddy, the youngster has been an ardent supporter. She recently organised a 24-hour danceathon and raised £335.

Heather and Paul Cakebread have been fundraising in Bedfordshire after their son was airlifted in 2014. They have raised an amazing £6,000 through two events.

Isleham Shoots have been supporting EAAA for several years and donated over £2,200 in 2015 bringing their grand total since 2011 to £11,625.

Oakley Motorcycle Club have continued their fantastic support of the charity with their Dinner Dance at Bedfordshire Golf Club raising over £1,200. In total the club has raised more than £27,000.

The Suffolk Landrover Owners Club, at their annual Mince Pie Driving event, have presented cheques to the charities they chose to support in 2015. EAAA was delighted to have been supported by the club once again and very much appreciate their donation of nearly £3,400.

Clays of Bungay’s Christmas raffle raised over £2,600 thanks to generous donations of more than 130 prizes from a number of businesses.

Ipswich volunteer Sue McCarthy organised another of her wonderful Christmas parties with a live band and raised almost £650.

We were the chosen charity of club captain Angus TophamSmith at the Gog Magog Golf Club and thank him for raising over £9,500.

A charity night at Soham Town Rangers football club raised £2,260.

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Events

March

26

[Saturday]

Easter Egg Hunt Sandringham, Norfolk

You won’t want to miss our fantastic Easter Egg hunt at Sandringham on Easter Saturday.

It’s being organised with the help of the King’s Lynn Priory Rotary Club as their President has chosen to support EAAA this year. Children (and adults) will have to solve 17 clues to be in with a chance of winning a big Easter prize. There will be chocolate treats for all who take part.

April 24

[Sunday]

1

[Sunday]

May

Helicopter Family Fun Day

Ampthill, Beds In conjunction with Icknield Road Club who are organising their annual Cycle Sportive with this event, there’s a fantastic fun day for all the family between 10am and 3pm at Redbourne Upper School. While the cycling enthusiasts tackle challenges of 15, 45, 70 and 100 miles (online entry through the British Cycling website), supporters can enjoy fairground rides, stalls, facepainting and refreshments as well as meeting members of the emergency services in ‘Blue Light Corner.’ It’s hoped that, if missions permit, the helicopter will fly in offering a chance to meet members of the EAAA crew.

St George’s Day Classic Car Run Norfolk

This annual classic car run starts at Sheringham and finishes at Sandringham, with all classic, unusual or collectable vehicles welcome. Last year more than 300 cars helped raise thousands of pounds and we are very grateful to be the beneficiary charity again this year. Spectators are welcome as the cars leave Sheringham or when they arrive at their destination.

Planning a fundraising event?

Call your local fundraising team (see page 2) for support and find a list of events at www.eaaa.org.uk/events

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[Weds]

Charity Luncheon Fulbourn, Cambs

Over the last 26 years the Lacey family have raised more than £250,000 for a number of charities with their annual lunch. Once again they are very kindly supporting EAAA and, if operational duties allow, the crew of Anglia Two are expected to join supporters at this year’s event. To purchase tickets and support what is always a very enjoyable day please contact our South Cambridgeshire fundraising team (see page 2).

June

18+19 Norfolk [Sat&Sun]

Polo Festival

Near Norwich

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[Sunday]

Ride 2 Remember Stowmarket, Suffolk

Join us for this 75 mile circular sponsored motorcycle ride out and festival in memory of loved ones taking place at Stonham Barns, Stonham Aspal. The route will encompass some of the best views the Suffolk countryside has to offer.

There will be a festival, live bands, biker jumble, children’s entertainment, and refreshments. Motorcycle registration is £8.00 and festival entrance only is £5.00 for adults. Visit www.eaaa.org.uk for more details and to register for the ride.

This prestigious event has cemented its place in the region’s social calendar and will host eight teams playing four matches on each of the two days. We hope that Anglia One will also be able to attend on the Sunday. Day tickets can be bought at the gate and online at £10 each. A VIP package which includes a three course lunch is also available.

For more information and tickets visit www.norfolkpolo.co.uk. Sponsorship opportunities are also available for our corporate supporters – please email holly.noon@eaaa.org.uk for details.

Michael Lyons Photography

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Make a Difference VOLUNTEER FOCUS:

OUR STOTFOLD FUNDRAISING GROUP

A group of volunteers from Stotfold in Bedfordshire have really put EAAA on the map in their area, raising more than £3,700 along the way.

The group organises its own fundraising events but the ladies are always happy to help out at other EAAA events too. Area Fundraising Manager Kay Marter said: “This dynamic group have singlehandedly raised the profile of EAAA in the area around Stotfold with their different events and have worked with local businesses and the Mayor. They have made it their mission in life to raise awareness and funds and have worked tirelessly at our own events, by helping on our stall and serving refreshments. Without them we wouldn’t be able to provide the lifesaving services that we do.”

The group members include: Bridget Smith, Cheryl Gibbings, Sylvia Scholfield, Ann Williams, Carol Hempel, Marian Horsley Tate, Judy Dear and Chris Connolly.

Bridget explained a little more about why they do it.

How did you get involved with EAAA? I decided that I wanted to do something for charity a few years ago and at first thought I would support a different charity each year, but once I got involved with EAAA and realised what a worthwhile cause it is and that it has to rely on charity rather than Government funding, I decided this would be the cause to support. I knew the other ladies through activities like table top sales and the Church and now there are enough of us helping out that nobody feels obliged to give more time than they are able to.

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What do you do?

We’ve organised all sorts of things in the last year including a line dancing evening, table top sales and of course for the 15th anniversary a Tea @1500. Plus we’ve been to a number of EAAA events such as the helicopter open day last year and through the volunteering we do there are opportunities to attend events that otherwise we might not go to.

Can you help?

Our South Cambridgeshire/ West Suffolk fundraising team would like to hear from anyone who’s interested in joining our volunteer team.

Without them we wouldn’t be able to provide the lifesaving services that we do

What’s the secret of your success?

I think it is very important to thank people for their contribution. I write a thank you letter to everyone who donates something, no matter what it is. We ask local businesses to give raffle prizes etc and I always make sure they are thanked. People tell me that not everyone says thank you these days but I make sure we do.

Would you recommend working as a team like this to others?

Being part of a team like this is great because it means you are not obliged to help all the time – if you can’t get to an event, even if it’s due to a last minute emergency you know that the others are there to ensure it goes ahead. And we all work well together and will get together socially from time to time, not just when we are helping EAAA.

We’d especially like to hear from people who are happy to help us at events or with collections and collecting boxes. We’d also like to thank The Moller Centre in Cambridge who have chosen us as their charity of the year and very generously hosted our 2015 Christmas tea party for local volunteers (pictured below).

If you can offer some time and would like to find out more about helping us please email volunteer@eaaa.org.uk or contact your local fundraising office (see page 2).

Watch a Volunteer video on our website Visit www.eaaa.org.uk/ support-us/volunteer

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Lottery Lottery jackpot winners since our last edition For full details each week of the EAAA lottery winners and the current accumulator prize please visit our website www.eaaa.org.uk. The results are published there first and as soon as possible after the draw is made. They remain available on the site for approximately one month. During the last quarter, the £1,000 jackpot has been won by: Nov 06 Mrs S. Fussell

Luton

Nov 13 Mrs J. Willliams

Leighton Buzzard, Beds

Nov 20 Mrs V. Binks

Kenninghall, Norfolk

Nov 27 J. Stolworthy

Lowestoft

Dec 04 Mrs M. Kendall

Bury St Edmunds

Dec 11 Mrs D. Brown

Bottisham, Cambs

Dec 18 Mrs M. Breton

East Bergholt, Suffolk

Dec 24 Mr R. Wajszwilli

Ipswich

Dec 31 Mrs. S. Elvin

New Buckenham, Norfolk

Jan 08

Mrs P. Turner

Shipdham, Norfolk

Jan 15

Mrs S. Hawkes

Cambridge

Jan 22

Mrs J. Sampson

Fakenham, Norfolk

Jan 29

Mrs A. Packer

Debenham, Suffolk

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The Accumulator Prize Since our last issue the accumulator prize has been won three times. We had no winners in November, meaning that by December 11 the prize had swelled to £4,000 when it was won by Mrs M. Bassett in Ipswich. There was an early Christmas present of £1,000 for M. Judge in St Neots, Cambs, who won the accumulator on Christmas Eve (the draw was brought forward by a day for Christmas). On January 22 Mr D. Cheshire in Lowestoft won £2,000.

Our new Scratchcard game Our new scratchcard game which was launched last year is proving a hit. It has a top prize of £1,000 and there are additional prizes of £100, £50, £25, £10, £5, £2 and £1 – with cards costing £1 each.

ON SA LE HER _Layout 1 24/06/2015

AAA Lottery card Proofs.qxp

09:16 Page 1

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£

£1

GAME 1 Match 3 amounts TO WIN!

GAME 2 Reveal a helicopter TO WIN!

JJJ £ £ £ £ £

?

3 HELICOPTERS WINS £10

£ £ £ £ £

£ £ £ £ £

?

?

• 2 HELICOPTERS WINS £5

• 1 HELICOPTER WINS £1

We need you toda y You may need

Each card has two games on it. Cards may not be sold to or by people under the age of 16. To find out more please give our lottery office a call on 01603 489400 or email us at lottery@eaaa.org.uk

us tomorrow

RE £1

w

I had to read

Winners write

your letter about four times for it to sink in.

We are always delighted to hear from supporters who have won our jackpot or other lottery prizes.

Here are extracts from some of the letters we have received recently.

“No one was more surprised than I to receive a cheque from the lottery.

Thank you so very much as I have never won anything not even an argument, I had to read your letter about four times for it to sink in. I still can’t believe it, Thank you.”

Prize winner, Norwich “Just writing to say thank you for my lottery win of £100 I received at the week-end – it will come in very handy with Christmas coming soon.

I joined the charity because the helicopters land in the school near my house which is adjacent to the Luton and Dunstable Hospital. I wish the charity well for the future – keep up the good work.”

Lottery winner, Luton.

“Thank you for the cheque for £1,000. This is the first time I have ever won anything like this before and after my husband’s illness it was indeed a lovely surprise. I would like to donate the sum of £100 back to the fund.”

Jackpot winner, Norfolk.

Christmas Draw A full list of the winners of our Christmas raffle draw can be found on page 7. We are very grateful to all who supported us by purchasing tickets and helped to raise in excess of £200,000. We were also delighted to hear from the winner of the top prize, Mr M. Larham, who told us that the prize would enable him to replace his car, which had earlier been written off.

Why not tell a friend about our Lottery?

Visit www.eaaa.org.uk or call 01603 489400

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Lottery Thank you!

The East Anglian Air Ambulance charity is enormously appreciative of the support from our loyal lottery players. Your weekly contribution really does make a difference and has helped to generate millions for the charity since it started. Without your continued support, it would be very difficult for us to maintain the service we currently provide.

However, please don’t forget to let us know if you move house, we send our winning cheques through the post each week so it’s vital that we have an up to date address for our players.

If you would like to help us save money by reading the magazine on our website or via an app please visit the Anglia Lift Off page on our website where you’ll find full details of how to do so.

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About our lottery Supporting the East Anglian Air Ambulance lottery is one of the easiest and most sustainable ways to keep us flying and saving lives. There are 18 main cash prizes including a jackpot of £1,000 which is won every week. We also have an accumulator prize which rises by £500 per week.

The maximum it can reach is £25,000 and we have had several of our supporters win significant sums.

Everyone who plays the lottery is automatically entered into the accumulator draw.

How does it work?

Once we receive your completed membership application we enter your details onto our lottery system.

You’ll be sent a letter and membership card with details of your lucky number. Each Friday the winners are randomly selected from all current paying members.

How much does it cost?

Each ‘chance’ in our lottery costs £1 and you can have more than one ‘chance’ each week if you wish.

How do I claim my prize?

There is no need to make a claim as we automatically send out all the winners’ cheques by 1st class post on Friday afternoons. A list of winners can be found on our website www.eaaa.org.uk.

How do I join?

Choose one of these three simple ways to take part in our lottery:

1

Fill in a form

Complete this application form, cut it out and send it back to us at the address printed at the bottom of the page. If you are paying by cheque, don’t forget to send that too.

2 Online Sign up on our website. Visit www.eaaa.org.uk/shop and click on Lottery for a safe and secure way to purchase.

3 By phone If you would prefer to speak to someone or are buying membership as a gift for someone else then please give our lottery team a call on 01603 489400 and they will be happy to help.

If you are reading this edition of Anglia Lift Off because you are already a member of our lottery then when you have finished it, why not pass it on to someone else who might like to find out more about supporting our work in this way?

All players must be over the age of 16.

Lottery Membership application New Member Details (Please fill in your contact and payment details) Name Address

Postcode

Tel

Email Date of Birth For cheque No. of chances per week payment: Total amount due £

No. of weeks (min 13)

For direct debit payments: (Please fill in the form below)

Instruction to your Bank or Building Society to pay by Direct Debit

Service User Number

Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society To: The Manager

422746 Bank/Building Society

Address Postcode Name(s) of Account Holder(s) Branch Sort Code Bank/Building Society Account No.

Instruction to your Bank or Building Society Please pay East Anglian Air Ambulance Direct Debits from the account detailed in this Instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this Instruction may remain with East Anglian Air Ambulance and, if so, details will be passed electronically to my Bank/Building Society.

Signature(s)

Date Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of account.

The sum of £ Monthly (£4.34) First payment on

(Minimum payment of £4.34 per chance per month)

Quarterly (£13) /

/

Half-yearly (£26)

Yearly (£52)

and thereafter until further notice.

Please return your completed membership application form (with cheque made payable to Friends of East Anglian Air Ambulance) to: The Lottery Office, Friends of East Anglian Air Ambulance, Hangar E, Norwich Airport, Gambling Close, Norwich NR6 6EG Members must be aged 16 years or over, please tick this box to confirm Each chance costs £1 per week. All the data we hold is gathered and managed in strict accordance with the Data Protection Act (1998). We will not disclose any information supplied by you to any third party. We may contact you occasionally with information about other aspects of our work. If you would prefer not to receive these mailings please tick this box

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Support from the business community is critical to our operation and is given in many forms. As well as the many companies who choose EAAA as their charity of the year and involve staff in fundraising activities such as bake sales and challenges, some choose to raise awareness with our Proud to Support signs on their vehicles, while others will offer sponsorship for a particular event or project.

We couldn’t continue to save lives without the generosity of our valued corporate supporters and if you would like to find out about current opportunities please contact one of our Area Fundraising Managers (see page 2) or visit our website.

Sponsorship for CPR in Peterborough schools

base among the public and make a real difference to patient outcomes.”

Fourteen schools in and around Peterborough are to receive training in CPR from an EAAA critical-care paramedic this academic year thanks to sponsorship from Perkins Engines Company Ltd.

Annette Ward, Corporate and Marketing Communications Manager at Perkins said: “Perkins is proud to be supporting EAAA with its latest initiative to ensure students across the Peterborough area have the opportunity to learn vital CPR skills.

Area Fundraising Manager, Chris Donaldson said: “The importance of bystander CPR cannot be stressed enough.

If, in the event of a heart attack, a member of the public has this essential skill, they may be able to keep the victim alive until first-responders and paramedics arrive. If we can train students at a young age, it will broaden the knowledge

Cambridge firm’s boost

During 2015 the engineering and technology firm Cambridge Consultants chose EAAA as their charity of the year, with an incredible level of support.

Many different fundraising activities were held including a number of staff taking part in the Cambridge Half Marathon. Meanwhile, members of the management team sold bacon butties and cakes to staff on a regular basis.

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“Perkins has previously worked alongside EAAA to support its work in the Peterborough community and on hearing about this initiative, we were keen to help. The training has already enabled hundreds of students to develop important skills, and has been positively received by those who’ve taken part.”

The company has generously funded the training with a £1,500 donation. If your school would like to find out more about this scheme please contact Leanne Tyers in our Peterborough office.

In total the business raised £40,000 and also gave practical help to the charity by offering meeting rooms for training days.

Area Fundraising Manager Barbara McGee said: “I can only assume a lot of cakes were baked to raise such a jaw-dropping sum. We are incredibly grateful to Cambridge Consultants for all they did for us in 2015 and really can’t thank them enough.”

Corporate Thanks…

The East Anglian Timber Trade Association raised over £3,000 at their annual dinner in 2015.

Godolphin Management Company Ltd have given a most generous donation of £10,000.

Anniversary donation from Suffolk firm An agricultural business near Bury St Edmunds has celebrated its 50th anniversary with a year of fundraising for EAAA. Having set themselves a target of £10,000 the staff of G.E. Baker Ltd and Quality Equipment raised a grand total of nearly £13,000.

The company wanted to support a local charity and chose EAAA because of their founder Glyn Baker’s own experience of being treated by an air ambulance crew when he was involved in a lifethreatening farm accident a number of years ago.

Two members of staff quite literally went the extra mile to raise funds for the charity. Henry Stark from QE’s marketing department and Frank Barrett, manufacturing supervisor, took part in the Lee Valley 10-mile run within the Olympic Park in London and raised £650.

Long-term supporters G’s Fresh in Barway raised more than £5,000 at last year’s Open Farm Sunday. It takes the total they have raised during their years of support to more than £64,000.

Bard Pharmaceuticals in Cambridgeshire donated £10 for each staff member who took part in the Times 100 Best Companies Survey and raised nearly £4,000.

A number of companies gave donations to furnish our new base at Cambridge Airport.

Our thanks goes to: Nothing Clothing Company, Trademaid Ltd, Manor Farm, Aztec Plants, Richer Sounds and CMS. Kelling Heath and Wood Hill Holiday Parks in North Norfolk have pledged to support EAAA for the next two years and we look forward to our partnership with them.

Bayer Crop Science held a walking challenge during their annual safety day, with the winner of the challenge choosing EAAA as the charity a £600 donation should go to.

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Extreme Fundraising If you are taking part in an exciting challenge such as a parachute jump, trek, or cycle ride to support EAAA, please get in touch. We’ll give plenty of guidance to help you reach your fundraising target. Don’t forget to set up an online giving page and take advantage of social media too.

Cycling challenges raise thousands

Cyclists across the region have spent the last few months helping to raise in excess of £7,000 for EAAA with a range of challenges and activities.

Cyclist Tim Colman from Vinci Facilities said: “Although I used to do a lot of mountain biking ten years ago I hadn’t done anything like this before so it involved a lot of training and left us all quite saddle sore. The camaraderie was great though and we were able to encourage each other up hills as well as having excellent support in the vehicle loaned to us by the company.”

We are very grateful to those taking part alongside Tim who were: James Coupe, Peter Hancock, Matt Browne and George Templeman.

A scheme which gives workers an official day off to help a local good cause gave three staff at Vinci Facilities in Mildenhall a chance to dust off their bikes and raise nearly £5,000 for EAAA. The firm encourages its staff to Stand Out and Make A Difference (SOMAD) and together with the support of two staff from WT Parker who are a key supply chain contractor, a team got together to cycle from RAF Menwith Hill in Yorkshire, back to Mildenhall.

It completed a visit to all USAF bases in the UK by bike that the team had done previously.

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A group of cyclists organised by long-term supporter Phil Lane set off from Soham Town Football Club to cycle routes of 25, 50 or 100 miles in September. The event was a huge success raising almost £2,500.

On your bike for EAAA

Recently cycling training and events company DuoVelo held a promotional event at the Grand Arcade in Cambridge to encourage people to have a go at turbo training. Duo-Velo is supporting EAAA at their turbo training events in Cambridgeshire and the Fens this winter and is also helping with training for the cyclists taking part in the annual Lap of Anglia fundraiser which involves 400 miles in four days.

Cyclists attending the training events may bring their own turbo or hire one for a donation of £3 to EAAA. The day in Cambridge also raised over £200.

Meanwhile we thank the St Neots Cycling Club who raised £200 from the raffle at their 2015 awards evening.

Thinking of doing an extreme fundraiser?

Visit www.eaaa.org.uk or call 0845 066 9999

Whether you’re a recreational cyclist or a club champion there are plenty of opportunities this year to enjoy your hobby while raising funds for EAAA. If you’ve been inspired by the supporters on this page and would like to take part in one (or more!) of the events below please contact your local fundraising office (see page 2).

Icknield Road Club are organising a cycle sportive on May 1 from Ampthill in Bedfordshire, along with a fun day (see page 18). There are four distances of 15, 45, 70 and 100 miles and full details and registration can be found on the British Cycling website.

Beccles Cycle for Life has raised more than £25,000 for EAAA since we became a beneficiary in 2009. Organised by the Rotary Club of Beccles, it welcomes all ages and abilities and saw 350 take part last year. Details of the 2016 event on May 15 can be found at www.becclescycleforlife.org.

Celebrate all that is great about cycling in Norfolk and Suffolk with the Diss Cyclathon nine town tour on June 19. There’s a choice of 15, 50 or 100 mile routes and the event is supporting EAAA. Register at www.disscyclathon.org The EAAA London to Paris bike ride takes place from July 20-24 and will involve around 300 miles of cycling. You’ll have the chance to watch the finale of the Tour de France from under the Eiffel Tower. Full details are on our website.

The Lap of Anglia is in its fourth year and has raised over £30,000 for EAAA so far. This year’s gruelling cycling challenge starts on August 10 and there are still spaces available. If you are a reasonably fit cyclist and want to help a great cause then join in and have a fantastic four days on your bike. Visit www.lapofanglia.co.uk for more information.

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LEGACY GIFT BEQUEATHED BY FAMILY Legacy gifts left to EAAA in the wills of supporters have made a life changing difference to hundreds of people across East Anglia who have been helped by our service. One in four of the patients we help would not receive that critical care, were it not for the people who have chosen to remember EAAA in their will.

Dixon and Phyllis at one of the many car boot fairs they attended for EAAA.

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Recently a very generous gift was made to the charity from the daughter of a Norfolk couple who became well known in the Thetford area for their support of EAAA over almost 10 years. Gaye Batey was Executor of the estate of her parents Dixon (George) and Phyllis Batey who sadly passed away within a few months of each other. Gaye made a Deed of Variation to her mother’s will to ensure that EAAA received a substantial donation to reflect the tireless fundraising her parents had undertaken for the charity.

Phyllis and Dixon, who had supported good causes throughout their lives, began fundraising for EAAA in 2006, when they were already well into their 80s and continued right up until their deaths last year at the ages of 95 and 94 respectively. They attended numerous events, including many car boot sales, running a fundraising stall.

Much of their stock was purchased by Phyllis who was an avid attendee at local auctions. They also raised money through selling bird boxes and bird tables that Dixon had made.

Gaye told us how much her parents enjoyed meeting other supporters and people whose lives had been touched by the air ambulance service at the events they went to. When Dixon was no longer able to drive, making it impossible for them to carry on fundraising at boot fairs, the couple set up a charity stall outside their home instead, which was well supported by neighbours and friends.

✃

how to help us

All of us at EAAA are immensely grateful to the Batey family

Over the years that they supported the charity, together with the generous gift from their estate, Phyllis and Dixon gave more than £18,600 to EAAA. Gaye has pledged to continue fundraising for the charity at car boot sales this summer, with their remaining stock.

EAAA Legacy Officer Sarah Wilson said: “Phyllis and Dixon were clearly passionate about this charity and the sums they raised during their lifetimes were fantastic. They were so dedicated and I understand that even despite her failing sight Phyllis was determined to continue doing what she could to raise money.

Gaye told me that right up until the day before she died peacefully in her sleep, her mother was still selling items and asking Gaye to check the sums raised.

“All of us at EAAA are immensely grateful to the Batey family and Gaye’s gesture of arranging a Deed of Variation was incredibly generous and thoughtful at a time of great sadness for her and we thank her for all that she has continued to do with EAAA in mind.”

Sarah is happy to be contacted about any aspect of leaving a legacy to EAAA and can be reached on 01603 269320.

There is also extensive information about gifts in wills on our website. We do recommend seeking legal advice when making or changing a will.

There are many ways in which you can support us, please help by ticking the boxes which interest you and completing your contact details. Then simply return the form to: FREEPOST EAAA Boost your donation by 25p of Gift Aid for every £1 you donate Gift Aid is reclaimed by the charity from the tax you pay for the current tax year. Your address is needed to identify you as a current UK taxpayer.

In order to Gift Aid your donation you must tick the box below: I want to Gift Aid my donation of £ ................................... and any donations I make in the future or have made in the past 4 years to East Anglian Air Ambulance (charity no. 1083876).

I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any difference.

My Details Title First name or initial(s) Surname Full home Address

Postcode

Date

Tel Email I’d like to make a donation and enclose a sum of £...........

I’d like to find out about setting up a regular donation I’d like to know more about becoming a volunteer I’d like information to help me raise money for EAAA I’d like information on how to leave a legacy I’d like to receive details about corporate sponsorship Please notify the charity if you: • want to cancel this declaration • change your name or home address • no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains If you pay Income Tax at the higher or additional rate and want to receive the additional tax relief due to you, you must include all your Gift Aid donations on your Self-Assessment tax return or ask HM Revenue and Customs to adjust your tax code.

All the data is gathered and managed in strict accordance with the Data Protection Act (1998). We will not disclose any information supplied by you to any third party. We may contact you occasionally with information about other aspects of our work. If you would prefer not to receive these mailing please tick here

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