Helipad Winter 2023

EEZINE FRMAGA

helipad The official magazine of DEVON AIR AMBULANCE

www.daat.org • winter 2023

SHOP DAAT!

this Christmas

The lasting impact of a legacy gift

Join Our Weekly

LOTTERY Inspirational

Patient Stories

From your heart to their hands...

Could you help to restock our kit for the winter ahead?

Welcome!

As the nights continue to draw in and we look forward to embracing winter across Devon, we’re taking the opportunity to reflect on everything that we have achieved together over the last six months while ruminating on exciting plans for the future.

Summer might feel like a distant memory now, but we’re here to remind you of all the amazing fundraising activities and adventures that were enjoyed during the warmer months. From wing-walking to dance parties and cream teas to charity auctions – it seems that Devon is not lacking in imagination when it comes to raising funds to support our life saving work, so a huge THANK YOU to everyone who got involved this year.

For those of you lucky enough to receive Helipad at home, you may already be aware of this year’s Christmas campaign to raise essential funds that will keep our crew fully stocked and equipped for the long winter ahead. Even the smallest donation can play a huge part in ensuring that our crews have the right kit available to them when they need it. Learn more about our Christmas campaign on pages 4 – 5.

For myself, I am looking forward to the season of wrapping – wrapping up warm for chilly dog walks, gift wrapping for a family Christmas, all wrapped up safe in the knowledge that our crews will be working throughout the festive period. A big thank you to them and to all of you who make it possible!

Heléna Holt

Chief Executive Officer

The Offical Magazine of Devon Air Ambulance

helipad is published by DEVON AIR AMBULANCE TRUST

Publisher Heléna Holt h.holt@daat.org Editor Gareth Peebles g.peebles@daat.org Design Silver Foxes Publishing 01803 842893

Contributors Richard Wilson RHS ISSN (Print) 2055-2343 ISSN (Online) 2055-2351 Subscriber queries & address changes: info@daat.org

In this issue 4 6 8 11 12 15 18 20 22 24 26 27 28 30 31 32 34 36 38 39 40 42 43 44 46

Our 2023 Christmas Appeal Retail Pop-Up shops Volunteer Away Day Make a Regular Donation Airbase 2 Airbase Challenge Devon People Fundraising - Summer Wrap -up Patient Story Businesses On Board Barnstaple Community Hub Fundraising - Coffee Morning DAA Staff Away Day Out & About Community Landing Sites Flight Ops Simulator Crew’s Brew launch Patient Story Legacies and Wills Farming & Machinery Show Week of Thanks Patient Story RHS Rosemoor Prize Crossword Lottery Businesses On Board

Cover Picture © Sean Malyon Issue No.34 Winter 2023

Next issue Spring/Summer 2024

© All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or used in any form without prior permission of the publishers. All material is sent at the owner’s risk and whilst every care is taken, Devon Air Ambulance Trust will not accept liability for loss or damage. Every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of our content but the publishers cannot be held responsible for any omissions, errors or alterations or for the consequences of any reliance on these details; neither can they vouch for the accuracy of claims made by any advertiser. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers.

• www.daat.org

3

From your heart to their hands...

Can you help to stock up our crew with the vital equipment needed for the busy winter ahead?

This winter, our crew will be busier than ever – and we will be ready to respond with our two helicopters and Critical Care Cars. We don’t stop over Christmas, we’re here 365 days of the year because we know our service can save lives.

Our team is called out on important time-critical missions each day, providing specialist care when a person gets injured or falls ill. This speed, and our team’s expertise, can make all the difference to a patient’s survival – and their recovery.

This was the case for Craig, who we met last year. Our crew responded to a call from the HEMS (Helicopter Emergency Medical Service) desk telling us that Craig had fallen from a roof. With the team’s skill and diligence, Craig received the specialist medical intervention needed to stabilise him on the scene and get him to hospital quickly.

This year, Craig is happy to be celebrating Christmas with his family – something we’re very pleased about. But, we’re only able to provide this high level of care because of people like you, whose kindness and generosity keep us responding by air and by road to those who need us most.

Darren Goodwin, Head of Operations

Craig’s Story “To be honest, I’ve got no idea what happened. I think my brain has blocked that bit out. I was up on a roof fitting flashings at a local farm but unfortunately, you know, things happen.

When my parents got to the farm, they found out I’d already gone in the helicopter; that I’d fallen through the skylight and had a nasty hit to my head. In the emergency room, they were told that I needed a craniotomy – where they remove part of the skull, allowing the bruising to expand, and that I might not make it through the night.

But, I did, and seven weeks later, I woke up from a coma. If Devon Air Ambulance hadn’t come when they did, there’s no question I wouldn’t be here today. I’d received the best possible care in a short space of time.

It’s taken me months to recover; but I’m getting there. The crew are phenomenal – and this Christmas, thanks to Devon Air Ambulance, I’ll be with my family, because they saved my life.”

Craig 4

helipad • Winter 2023

Darren Goodwin

Below: Craig visiting the airbase

“

Christmas Appeal 2023

“When the call came in about a builder who had fallen from a roof, pilot Rob, Dr Simon and I were soon flying south west, every minute could mean the difference between life and death.

Craig had fallen onto concrete from about 20-30 feet and looked like he had a significant head and brain injury. Further assessment revealed potential for spinal, chest and pelvic trauma. He needed a general anaesthetic, an intervention which allows us to put someone ‘off to sleep’ so that we can take control of their breathing. This procedure must be delivered by experienced, senior teams like ours. Once Craig was ‘asleep’, we flew him to the Major Trauma Centre in Derriford, Plymouth.

If you take away just one of those factors – our helicopter, our advanced medical kit and the skills and knowledge of our team, Craig might not have made it. But I’m so pleased that he has. I’ve been a paramedic for 20 years; doing all I can to give our patients the best chance of a good recovery, is why I do my job. Thank you for helping to keep us responding. Because of your support, we can be there for more people like Craig this Christmas.”

Nigel Lang, Advanced Prehospital Practitioner and Research Lead

r i A n o Dev ance’s Amburlew c ’

g n i k c o Re‘St ist L

”

Nigel Lang

A gift from your heart will put vital pieces of kit, equipment and medicine into their hands...

With your support, we can make sure our crews remain fully-equipped to be there for those in need of time-critical specialist care.

Whether your gift is large or small, any support in re-stocking our supplies would be incredible, so if you’re able to lend your support today it would be so much appreciated by those we serve, over the winter months ahead, and every day of the year.

T-Pod Pelvic Stabilisation Device £77.94 each, 8 needed for this winter

This device stabilises a patient’s pelvis when a serious fracture could cause bleeding (this type of bleeding could be fatal). The T-Pod can be cut to size to fit everyone from large adults to adolescent children.

Metal Max Pro-Shears

Scalpel

Defibrillator Pads

These shears are vital as we get to a scene, allowing us to cut clothes off quickly to assess a patient’s injury.

These aren’t reusable, so a new pair is needed at each incident.

This inexpensive yet crucial piece of kit allows doctors and paramedics to make precise incisions if someone’s injury is internal. We go through around 130 of these each year.

These are used with a defibrillator to restart a patient’s heart – we use different types for adults and children who may need them.

£1 each, 40 needed for this winter

£1.64 each, 30 needed for this winter

Support our Christmas Appeal today and be a lifesaver to those in need in the coming months To donate, please fill in the form supplied, scan the QR code or visit:

bit.ly/equipment-appeal

£20.66, 35 needed for this winter

Popping Up Here, There and Everywhere!

Did you bag a bargain at one of our amazing pop-up charity shops this summer?

O

ur retail team have been “popping up” across Devon this summer, raising vital funds for the organisation. Making appearances at The Devon County Show, Axe Vale Show, Mid Devon Show & Totnes Show, as well as a brilliant sustainability event held at RHS Garden Rosemoor.

This was something new for our organisation and it was an amazing opportunity to join in at these events. For those who had never visited a DAA charity shop it provided a great opportunity to learn more about what we have on offer, as well as understanding what we can accept in donations. We thoroughly enjoyed spending time talking to visitors, educating them on our ‘Mishap Fashion’ range and meeting lots of our supporters and other Exhibitors.

Overall, it’s been a great new adventure and one that helped us to raise over £3,000, so we’re already looking forward to next year’s pop-up shop roadshow!

If you’d like to keep up with our future events, follow us online.

Volunteers and reta

il team in action!

Looking for something a little different this Christmas?

With the festive season swiftly approaching (how did that happen?!), try visiting one of our Vintage & Variety shops in Topsham or Dartmouth for gifts with extra charm this Christmas.

Each shop is filled to the rafters with carefully curated items, collectables and curiosities, so you’re sure to find something a little different and not just the same old Christmas socks!

From antique glass and tableware, to ornaments, jewellery, clothing and toys, if you long for the Christmases of yesteryear, be sure to pop in and browse our full range of retro and vintage Christmas items in the run up to the big day.

The dedicated teams at Topsham and Dartmouth look forward to welcoming you this festive season.

Vintage & Variety Dartmouth 2 Smith Street, Dartmouth TQ6 9QR 01803 834605

6

helipad • Winter 2023

Vintage & Variety Topsham 40 Fore Street, Topsham, Exeter EX3 0HU 01392 879232

Retail Pop-Up Shops

Three Doors Down

I

f you’ve visited West Devon over the summer, you may have already supported our newest Devon Air Ambulance Shop in Okehampton. Earlier in 2023 the stars aligned, enabling us to relocate from our existing two storey premises to a single storey shop in Okehampton town centre.

The new shop is light and airy, has a great selection of items and continues to be managed by our colleagues Emma and Ellanah. Having everything on one floor is amazing news for staff and volunteers as it means they no longer have to climb up and down the stairs all day to sort, clean and stock the shop.

Plus, with the addition of our fabulous Boutique area at the rear of the shop selling wedding dresses and other occasional wear, there are even more reasons to pop in and see what’s on offer!

Do you live near our Okehampton Shop?

We’re always on the lookout for more volunteers, so head into the shop to learn more and to see what opportunities we have for you, or visit www.daat.org/oke-vols and register your interest with the Volunteer Team.

Must-have products at our shops...

GO-ANYWHERE FOLDING TROLLEY

Load up and make life easy with this lightweight, resizeable and easy to pull trolley. Ideal for beach days, picnics and camping, simply load up and effortlessly transport your gear to your destination.

Available exclusively at our Barnstaple shop or online at www.shopdaat.org

ONLY £70 (rrp £85) Make a purchase in one of our shops and help save a life • www.daat.org 7

Success...

for DAA’s first ever

Volunteer Away Day In September, we brought together our wonderful volunteers to connect and inspire at the first DAA Volunteer Away Day.

W

ith over 600 volunteers across the county, and following disruptions during the pandemic, we were keen to host an event to unite and engage our volunteering team to ensure that they felt an integral part of the DAA community, whilst expressing our gratitude and appreciation for them.

from the venue for the day. This gave volunteers the chance to learn more about our service, while understanding why the donation of their time and skills is so valuable. As advocates of the charity, it’s important we provide our volunteers with this insight, enabling them to take our message back to the community to inspire others.

Volunteers, along with their family and friends, staff, and crew attended the first ever DAA Volunteer Away Day at Westpoint, Exeter, the largest internal event we have ever hosted. The day’s purpose was to motivate and engage our volunteers and to inspire their continued support while fostering community, bringing everyone together and reacquainting old associates as well as providing an opportunity to make new friends.

The day was a great success, enjoyed by both volunteers and staff alike. Everyone felt a strong sense of unity and were well informed after the productive and engaging day, having exchanged valuable insights and experiences that enriched their knowledge of the service and everyone’s contribution.

Here at DAA we are passionate about supporting our volunteers, and as such, the day provided an element of training and development, with workshops held by every department of the organisation, including CPR and defibrillator demonstrations, as well as the helicopter being operational

8

helipad • Winter 2023

Volunteer Trevor Huggons said “I hope that many other volunteers who were there will, like me, feel even more valued, validated, inspired and reinvigorated by the day.”

Volunteering

Volunteer Tony Cannon added...

“It was particularly useful to be able to put faces to names and meet people other than over an e-mail. One of the most useful aspects for me was to be able to speak to people directly and learn more of the service and answer questions that help me in my speaker role, especially members of the crew both paramedics and even, a pilot! I found the talks on the future plans for the service very enlightening as was the opportunity to talk with departments that I would not regularly come in to contact with.”

Captain Tilda, Line Pilot, said, “I was really glad to be able to attend the Volunteer Away Day. For us, it really brings it home why we do what we do. For so many people to give up their spare time and volunteer to support DAA, I find it quite humbling.

Everybody that I met seemed so enthusiastic about DAA and so grateful for what we do. I am not sure if this is just because Devon is such a unique county and the people so passionate, but it was a lovely, welcoming atmosphere. Although we are just doing our job, it is very rewarding to receive such positive feedback.

I met several volunteers who had friends or family that we had attended to or conveyed, and it makes you realise what an impact we have had on some people’s lives.

“I think it benefitted both the staff and the volunteers being able to meet face to face like that and to emphasise the importance of both of our roles. Neither of which we could do without each other.”

Vicky Thresher, Volunteer Manager, concluded, “It was a fantastic day and so lovely to finally bring all our wonderful volunteers together post-COVID to thank and celebrate them. Not forgetting the amazing support from so many of the DAA Team who gave our volunteers a brilliant day and the thank you they deserve.”

Our volunteers are valued members of the team, they make a life-saving difference, and we depend on them generously donating their time and skills to many areas of our work, to ensure our crew can reach those who need specialist medical care, when every second counts. In addition, our volunteers ensure we stay rooted in the community we serve, and we enjoy getting to know each of them and building strong, longstanding relationships.

Not only are our volunteers vital to our service, but volunteering is also hugely beneficial to each of them. It’s a great way for our volunteers to give back to, and be an active part of, their community. By keeping the body and mind active, volunteering can enhance a person’s happiness, enabling them to interact with others and make new friends. Volunteering also provides a valuable sense of purpose, which, in turn, boosts mental health, confidence, and self-esteem, whilst also giving the opportunity to learn new skills and develop interests.

We’re incredibly grateful for all our volunteers and we are always keen to welcome new ones, so if you’d like to be part of a team as well as a community, then we’d love to hear from you. We have many varied opportunities, so whatever your skills, interests, and availability, we will work with you to find a role that suits you and will continue to work with you to help you learn and develop during your time with us. 

To find out more contact the Volunteering Team

Via email: volunteer@daat.org or visit: www.daat.org/volunteer

• www.daat.org

9

Your generous support keeps Devon Air Ambulance crews responding – to make a regular donation, please complete the attached Dirtect Debit form or follow instructions on the main menu of our website home page.

Keeping in Touch

There are many ways to contact the team at Devon Air Ambulance: www.daat.org – You’ll find lots of information about the Charity and our service on our website.

If you’ve been airlifted or helped by us, go to our Your Patient Story page and tell us your story. www.daat.org/your-story

%

Making a Regular Donation

© Picture Credit Caption

Service User Number

1

7

7

2

7

4

Please fill out all boxes in the form with a ball-point pen and send it to:

Devon Air Ambulance Trust, 5 Sandpiper Court, Harrington Lane, Exeter EX4 8NS

Instruction to your bank or building society Please pay Devon Air Ambulance Regular 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 Devon Air Ambulance Regular and, if so, details will be passed electronically to my bank/building society.

Name(s) of Account Holder(s)

Bank/Building Society account number Branch sort code Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society To: The Manager of

Bank/Building Society

Address

Postcode Signature(s)

Date Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit instructions from some types of account

For all sorts of fundraising advice and event information, visit our Get Involved pages. www.daat.org/fundraising

Please now complete your details below Name

Address

Telephone

If you’ve been assisted by DAA, and want to thank the crew visit our Thank the Crew page on our operational website. www.daatcl.co.uk/thank-the-crew

Email us at info@daat.org 01392 466666 Write to us at 5 Sandpiper Court, Harrington Lane, Exeter EX4 8NS

Follow us

Postcode

Email

I wish to give Devon Air Ambulance Trust a donation of £ I wish to give Devon Air Ambulance Trust a donation of £ (delete as appropriate) per month/quarter/year

per month/quarter/year as appropriate) Please take Direct Debits (delete on 6th/20th of the month (delete as appropriate) Please take Direct Debits on 6th/20th of the month (delete as appropriate) We take your personal data seriously and do not sell on or share with any We take your personal seriously do not sell on or share third party.

If you would data like to receive and our Helipad magazine or with any third party. If you would like to receive our Helipad magazine or occasional information occasional information about the Charity please tick: Post ¨ Email ¨ about the Charity please tick: Post ¨ Email ¨ Telephone ¨ SMS Message ¨ to Gift Aid my donation of £ ___________ to Devon Air Ambulance ¨ II want ¨ want to Gift Aid my donation of £ ___________ to Devon Air Ambulance ¨ I want to Gift Aid my donation of £ ___________ and any donations I make in the ¨ 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 Devon Air Ambulance future or have made in the past 4 years to Devon Air Ambulance Please notify the charity if you: notify thethe charity if you: •Please Want to cancel declaration Want to your cancel the or declaration •• Change name home address Change or home address •• No longeryour payname sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains • No longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains I confirm I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or I confirm I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Capital Gains Tax in the current tax year than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my Gains Tax in the current tax year than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations it donations it is my responsibility to pay any difference. ¨ is my responsibility to pay any difference. ¨

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 Devon Air Ambulance Regular will notify you five (5) working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request Devon Air Ambulance Regular to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request.

• If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by Devon Air Ambulance Regular or your bank or building Society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society.

• If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when Devon Air Ambulance Regular asks you to.

• You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building Society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.

•

This guarantee should be detached and retained by the payee

Eaglescott

Advanced Prehospital Practitioner, Alex Sanders-Page walks us through the gruelling 38-mile trek he planned in order to raise funds and awareness for DAA

Exeter

O

The Airbase to Airbase Challenge!

n the 15th May 2023, Critical Care Doctor, Dave Potter and I set off on a 38-mile trip from Devon Air Ambulance, North Devon Airbase (Eaglescott) to our Exeter Airbase. Readers of Helipad will no doubt be aware that we are fortunate enough to have two helicopters in Devon, one based in Exeter, our Airbus H145 (G-DAAS), and at Eaglescott, our EC135 (G-DAAN). However, this is something that not everyone is aware of, and we wanted to change that! So, we decided to undertake this trek, inspired by the people of Devon, in an attempt to raise awareness of our service, while raising vital funds for our charity.

As if walking 38 miles across Devon wasn’t enough of a challenge, we decided to bring our 17kg response bags along with us for the journey too. This wasn’t to prove that DAA paramedics and doctors are in fact super-strong (we already knew that!), but to raise further awareness of the essential kit that we attend incidents with and how people’s generous donations ensure that we have the right kit available at the right time, while also highlighting how challenging and physically demanding our work can be.

The road less travelled The most direct route on foot incorporated the busy A377 which doesn’t have a pavement, so was clearly not a safe option. It’s 12 helipad • Winter 2023

not uncommon for us to have to walk along country roads to get to incidents, so knowing that these would be a quieter option, I planned a route that would take us along meandering country lanes, which, as it turned out, was ideal... that is, until you meet a tractor or combine harvester which takes up the whole single track carriage way, requiring us to walk back (occasionally some distance) to a suitable passing place!

Having worked in Devon for the past 10 years, I am no stranger to how hilly the area is. However, I was still shocked to learn that, according to the elevation profile, we would be taking in a staggering 4,100 feet of ascent!

But taking it easy was never an option, so we decided to stick with this route and started our training, undertaking several practice walks and a number of other physical activities to prepare us for success. Throughout this period we engaged with the public via our Facebook page (Airbase2Airbase challenge) - which is still available to view if you haven’t already - posting updates and videos of the training.

Airbase 2 Airbase Challenge Hey ho, let’s go!

Dave and I made our way to Eaglescott Airbase the night before the challenge to get ready for an early start. We weighed our bags and prepared our kit for the adventure ahead, before an early night to bed!

To keep the response bags a consistent 17kg, we only carried a much-needed water supply along with us, safe in the knowledge that my wife, Hayley, would be driving our support vehicle for the day, bringing much-needed food and spare clothes along to keep us fresh. We planned to meet the support vehicle en route after approximately 3 hours, but she definitely drew the short straw here – getting the kids ready for school while we enjoyed a nice leisurely stroll, before driving to North Devon and trying to find us in the middle of nowhere (thanks Hayley)!

So, after a quick breakfast of porridge and fruit, with our stomachs full, we set off at 6am to make the most of the cooler weather and looked forward to the day ahead... but not too far ahead – 37 miles still sounded intimidating!

The area surrounding the airbase was so peaceful and serene at that time of day and we made our way down into the first of many wooded valleys we would encounter. Thanks to our early start, we enjoyed seeing a moody, thick fog hanging over the trees, with a beautiful blue sky and the sun peaking up from the east, we were feeling good.

We had been walking for an hour when, coming headlong towards us was a vehicle that I recognised, our colleague, Nigel, had taken the scenic route to work in the hopes that he would bump into us. It was great to stop and have a catch up and to receive some inspiring words that gave Dave and I a real boost and improved what was already shaping up to be a good day.

ff road t the first o a th te ia c ppre p a hill!

I failed to a d for was u e n n la p I path

Safe travels I like to think of myself as being a fairly adept navigator, but I failed to appreciate that the first offroad path I planned for was up a hill which then led to a water course and - even though we had been enjoying a recent dry spell - the footpath still had areas of ankle-deep mud and water. Wet feet this early on in the day was not something that we had planned for or appreciated! But we ignored this minor inconvenience and carried on up to the welcome (dry!) tarmac.

As we approached the village of Bow, we enjoyed conversations with the local community Speed Watch group who were monitoring car speeds through the village, sharing our adventure with them and congratulating them for the great work they were doing. Being a paramedic for DAA, I understand all too well the perils of dangerous driving, so it was great to see a community taking a proactive step to try and promote safe driving in their village.

The weather was starting to heat up now and our bags, which are designed for carrying medical equipment across short distances 

We meet Bo w

Speedwatch

Group

Alex & Dave raised £3,736.82 by walking 38 miles in one day!

• www.daat.org 13

We crossed the River Exe and made our way up through Magdalen Street which was busy with people after work. Making our way down through Heavitree, we saw our Critical Care car (CC70) parked up and Josh, another colleague, popped out and gave us some more motivation for the final push to the Airport, followed soon after by Helicopter Engineer, Jeff. We really appreciated all of the kind words of support from our colleagues throughout the day, it made the challenge all the more enjoyable, so thanks to everyone who came and said hello.

We had to keep ‘moo’ving

(not 37 miles), were leaving us a little hot and bothered, plus we were already running out of water. Fortunately, with the school run done and obviously with a better sense of direction than me, we were able to meet up (or RV – ‘rendezvous’- as we say in the biz) with Hayley in our support vehicle for a quick change and some refreshments. After taking into consideration our current rate of speed and the next leg of the journey, we planned our next RV- the one I was most looking forward to, Lunch!

The Devonshire Heartland Way We made our way to the picturesque Village of Colebrooke before heading onto the next off-road section of the route, part of the Devonshire Heartland Way. Prior to planning this challenge, I hadn’t heard of the Heartland Way, a 43-mile, signposted route between Okehampton and Stoke Cannon which was an absolute pleasure to walk along and certainly something I would look to do again. Walking along the river valley toward Yeoford provided some welcome shade and a gentle breeze which kept us cool.

By this stage, the bags were becoming heavy on our shoulders and our feet were aching, but morale was high. We made our way up a steep hill toward Posbury Clump, a 250-million-year-old extinct volcano now covered in woodland and previously quarried for the Basalt used in many buildings around the area.

The next section of the walk felt like it was all uphill, heading south of Crediton towards the Whitestone area. We had our next target to reach as we had a pre-arranged BBC Radio Devon interview with Angela Kalwaites and wanted to make sure we had phone signal to receive her call. Raising awareness of our service and how lucky we are to have two Helicopters in Devon was one of the main aims of this challenge, so speaking to Angela live on air really helped with this – thanks Angela and the BBC! As we were walking up a particularly steep hill, we were joined by Advanced Paramedic, Andy, who offered us more supplies and provided a particularly rousing motivational speech, which obviously worked so well that he felt inspired to join us for a while himself!

Once Andy had departed, we made our way to the highest point of the walk and enjoyed views over Exeter and the Exe Estuary.

The final push With some freshly applied tape and a change of socks, we set off for the final leg through Exeter. What was really noticeable as we came down the eastern side, was how much traffic there was.

After a full day enjoying relatively quiet roads and countryside, it was a bit of a shock.

14 helipad • Winter 2023

Approaching the Met Office building, we saw HM70 flying off to a patient, and we were left thinking that we would be arriving with no-one to greet us at the base. It was the second time we saw the helicopter flying that day – a reminder of how important our challenge was, so we could keep on delivering our exemplary levels of care across Devon and beyond.

For the last mile we were met by another colleague, Lee and also Dave’s family, who joined us as we hobbled the last mile to the Airport, the slower pace with our new walkers with smaller legs was much welcomed.

Dave and I could finally see our finish line, we looked at each other, grinned, and broke into a gentle jog to finish off an epic day. As we drew ever closer, we could hear ‘Chariots of Fire’ playing over a loudspeaker and a crowd of our colleagues were there to welcome us back – a full 12 hours and 45 minutes after leaving the hanger at Eaglescott Airbase!

That’s all folks Excluding the stops that we made along the way, we were on the move for an incredible 9 hours and 57 minutes, covering 38.5 miles and consuming enough calories to feed a small village!

We were welcomed at the air base with cold drinks, and lots of photos. It was a perfect end to what was a tough, but strangely enjoyable day. Our feet were suffering with blisters, but that was about it. A welcome shower and more food were enjoyed before we got into our cars and drove home where it turned out that getting out of the car proved to be the hardest thing that we did all day!

We are grateful to all the supporters that donated and provided support on the day, we got people talking about our social media and sharing our stories to raise awareness of what we were doing.

Thank you! 

Fantastic Devon People

Our supporters turn out for an incredible summer of support

Our amazing supporters have been busy hosting and participating in all sorts of events and activities to raise vital funds and awareness around our work:

Thank you to each and every one of you!

Aircraft creativity

Community cake and plant sale raises hundreds

DAA volunteers, Marilyn and Alan MacQueen, were asked to judge a helicopter making competition having given a talk to the ladies at the North Tawton WI meeting in June. All entries were very creative, but Marilyn and Alan decided that the ‘onion’ helicopter was so novel they had to award it first place.

May’s clear blue skies helped to make Bratton Clovelly’s annual village charity plant and cake sale a great success, with residents raising a generous £368 for the sales of their beautiful plants and delicious cakes. A big thank you to all!

Wing walk success After many postponements due to the weather, Ghislaine Sayers was finally able to complete her wing walk in June raising an incredible £1,539.33! Ghislaine said, ‘Despite the sudden inability to move my legs, I felt surprisingly safe and secure looking at the countryside below me!’

Doddi Dragons have roaring success We are so thankful for the generous donation of £250 raised at the annual Doddi Village Fete in June – thanks to business-savvy school leavers. On behalf of the village committee, Jo said, ‘The fête is an event which aims to bring the village and local community together. Each year for the Doddi Fête, year six leavers, aka The Doddi Dragons (pictured here with the whole school) must come up with a business proposal for a stall they wish to run at the fête.’

• www.daat.org 15

Amazing atmosphere at Zumba Party Gwennie and Liz held their June Zumba Party raising funds for both Devon and Cornwall’s air ambulance charities. ‘Despite the 21-degree heat the hall was packed full of smiling dancers and the atmosphere was amazing!’. The pair danced their way to a generous donation of £612.50 for DAA. Thank you!

Noah’s 90-mile coast-to-coast ride 11-year-old Noah wanted to complete a challenge before he finished primary school, so he decided to raise money for DAA by cycling 90 miles with his dad, all the way from Ilfracombe to Plymouth via Devon’s coast-to-coast cycle route. His two-day July challenge raised an incredible £1,974.48! Well done and thank you to Noah!

Zumba in action

Steve’s North Coast 500 Challenge Huge thanks to Steve Gatland who completed the grueling North Coast 500 Challenge. Steve raised over £700 for DAA. Amazing work, Steve!

Doreen’s 100th birthday gift to us

Doreen Draper celebrated in style for her 100th birthday surrounded by family from far-flung places including her granddaughter and new great granddaughter from Singapore! We assisted Doreen’s eldest son back in 1994, so Doreen felt it would be fitting to request donations to DAA instead of receiving presents. Thank you, Doreen, and congratulations on your 100th birthday!

A Cream tea (the Devon wa

y!)

Thank you so much to Tom Ellis for hosti ng a Cream Tea event that raised an amazing £514.18! Crew members, Alex and Liam popped by to surprise Tom with a drive-by in one of our Criti cal Care Cars to say a huge Thank You for Tom’s amazing and continued support. Great work, Tom!

16 helipad • Winter 2023

Our Fundraisers

Craig’s Welcome Home Party

Famous Fundraiser!

As part of Craig Sanders’ welcome home party, a fun auction night was arranged with family and friends to raise money for DAA. Craig, pictured with DAA Fundraising team members, raised an incredible £3,435! Thank you for your support, Craig, and we hope you continue to make a full recovery.

Duncan Sandilands, bass vocal singer from classical crossover quartet, ‘G4’, recently moved to Devon to be near family. He took part in the Dart 10K swim challenge- not once, but twice (!) over two consecutive days- raising an amazing £1,365 for DAA and has said he is proud to be able to do his bit for such a tremendous charity. Thank you, Duncan!

South West Coast Path run triumph David Myers completed his 630-mile self-supported run of the South West Coast path from Poole to Minehead in an impressive 13 days and 13 hours, raising funds for both Devon’s and Cornwall’s air ambulance charities. So far David has raised £3,356.16.

You can read more about David’s journey by visiting www.davidmyers.co.uk.

Ruth’s Marathon challenge Ruth Dorset chose DAA as the beneficiary of her Run UK challenge by completing the Edinburgh Marathon. Ruth finished the run with a smile on her face in five hours, fourteen minutes, raising £432.50. Congratulations Ruth!

Flyin’ Fish row to two new records Devon Air Ambulance’s Ali Wannell completed the 2,800 miles of the World’s Toughest Row across the Pacific with her team The Flyin’ Fish. The team rowed unsupported and non-stop for 51 days from Monterey Bay, California, to Kauai, Hawaii. The Flyin’ Fish team members set two world records raising funds for their local Air Ambulance charities. The first record for a team of 5 rowing the Mid-Pacific and the second for the oldest male to row the route.

Congratulations to Team Flyin’ Fish!

Could you raise vital funds for Devon Air Ambulance?

Our fundraising team is ready to lend their support to your event, project or challenge! Contact us on 01392 466666 option 2 today!

i

• www.daat.org 17

Take a look at our incredible season of summer events...

A Summer Spectacular!

S

ummer 2023 proved to be another action-packed year for the Fundraising team!

Whilst the summer proved challenging due to the changeable weather, everyone at Devon Air Ambulance was out in force, enduring all weathers to meet and greet supporters, show attendees and to generally have a good time raising funds and awareness for DAA. All of our usual favourite events were in the diary but this time with some new twists!

Devon County Show kicked off the season in typically fabulous style and this year we took our first ever “Pop-up Shop” out on the road, with DCS serving as its inaugural outing. A collaboration across all departments, the retail pop-up shop proved a great success with everyone (read more about this on page 6).

Other highlights from our season of spectacular summer events included taking home an award at the Axe Vale show for, “Best Charity Stand” and receiving a commendation at the Chagford show. A brilliant success for all involved – well done everyone!

Another first for the team was our attendance at the Exmouth and Torbay Pride events where we were overwhelmed with volunteer support and had a fantastic time meeting lots of new faces and talking about our work.

Our season of events might be over, but we’re already working behind the scenes to bring you an even more incredible line up next year. We can’t wait to see you all then.

18 helipad • Winter 2023

Fundraising

This year we attended 20 summer shows • www.daat.org 19

A split second almost changed Macauley’s life forever Stopping to assist a friend in need, Macauley from Cullompton couldn’t have known what was about to happen.

O

n a wintry Saturday morning in January this year, Macauley Whitfield was up early and putting in a couple of hours’ work at the family business, a scrap metal yard just outside Cullompton. Keen to finish his work as he had plans to meet up with friends, he ventured off towards Honiton at around 10.30am.

On his way, riding a quad bike with his friend Lloyd, they came across a friend who was having difficulty guiding two horses along an icy lane. Being the kind of person that would help anyone in trouble, Macauley pulled up and stopped to assist them. Stepping off the quad, he immediately crashed to the

Macauley with his parents Mark and Sharon 20 helipad • Winter 2023

ground having slipped on ice. In a split second the horse kicked out, striking Macauley on the side of the head.

Macauley’s friends rushed to calm the horse and help Macauley but could see that he had sustained a serious injury and was losing a lot of blood. They called 999 to get help and while trying their best to keep him warm, the land ambulance soon arrived. The crew quickly assessed Macauley and called for the assistance of the air ambulance as they could see that Macauley was going to need urgent treatment at a major trauma centre.

Macauley’s dad, Mark, recalled, ‘When we arrived, I could

Patient Story

Macauley and family present their fundraising cheque to DAA

see that Macauley was already on a stretcher and his head was bound with a huge white bandage. He couldn’t talk and as I looked to the floor, I saw that he had lost a lot of blood, I thought the worst. Knowing the air ambulance had just landed, I knew his injury had to be serious.’

Macauley’s brother, Danny, added, ‘I remember the air ambulance crew being so calm, they weighed up the situation, spoke with the other paramedics and just did what they needed to do’. Once Macauley was ready to board the helicopter, Danny and Joe helped to carry the stretcher to the waiting aircraft and Danny told his brother he would see him soon. His dad also told his son that he would be OK and that he was in safe hands. In just 18 minutes Macauley would arrive at Derriford Major Trauma Centre in Plymouth.

“

Sharon told us, ‘I was absolutely terrified that my son wouldn’t be able to walk again or even talk, but he was alive, and he was in the best place and every day he made progress. I remember visiting just four days later to see him walking between two nurses along the corridor – that still gives me goosebumps, I was so proud.’

As Macauley prepared to come home, he was required to undertake several activities including a trip to the hospital’s WHSmith to see if he could navigate his route and handle the complexities of making a purchase on his own. He also had to walk up and down the steep flight of steps to the Derriford car park. His consultant, Dr Fewings, who had kept the family fully informed was delighted with his progress and finally gave his parents the thumbs up to take their son home with no more than Paracetamol and strict orders to get lots of rest.

We are just so thankful to the land ambulance team and the air ambulance crew for coming so quickly to help save my boy’s life.

Meanwhile, Macauley’s mum, Sharon, had contacted Macauley’s girlfriend, Anna, and picked her up - at this point unsure of where Macauley was to be taken. Upon hearing that he was en-route to Derriford, they both set off to meet her husband and older son at the hospital.

Macauley was already in Derriford hospital’s A&E department and that’s where his parents found him, unable to talk or move. He had been assessed by a specialist trauma team who had undertaken a series of tests, and he was now awaiting an operation.

Following his surgery Macauley was admitted to the Erme Neurological ward and in need of constant monitoring. Due to the injury, his speech was affected along with his motor skills, even eating with a spoon was difficult.

”

Mark told us, ‘While Macauley was in hospital, the phone didn’t stop ringing with people wishing him well and checking on his progress, not just family and friends, but colleagues and our customers who knew Macauley well. We can’t thank them enough for all their support, it was a terrible time, and we are just pleased that he is here with us now and doing so well. We are just so thankful to the land ambulance team and the air ambulance crew for coming so quickly to help save my boy’s life.’

The Whitfield family have made a personal donation to Devon Air Ambulance to say thank you for helping their son and we were proud to go along to meet the family and accept a cheque for £2,000 earlier this year. They now also have DAA collection boxes rooted firmly in their office at the scrapyard and pledge to continue their fundraising efforts in the months to come. 

Have you been assisted by our crews? Tell us your story • www.daat.org 21

ON

D

LANCE

AIR A M

R

O

BU

DEV

N

Our Corporate and Business relationships are beneficial to everyone and are a fantastic way to achieve remarkable things together.

t

d

Prou

BUS

SSES E IN to Suppor

B OA

Since our corporate partnership began back in 2005, support from Masons Kings has come in many forms, from hosting collection boxes at both their sites at Chudleigh and Exebridge, to providing the fantastic Gator Experience at the Devon County Show.

This year Masons Kings has supported us further still, this time by donating the generous 1st prize of £1,000 as well as an electric children’s Gator (a ride on buggy) to our Summer Raffle. With thousands of raffle tickets sold, this contribution is a real gift towards funding our service.

Peter Endacott, General Manager at Masons Kings, said: “We are proud to stand alongside Devon Air Ambulance supporting their incredible work across the county. At Masons Kings, we believe in the power of community which is why we have supported Devon Air Ambulance for over 18 years.”

Working with local companies like Masons Kings and the support by their team really does make a difference to our patients.

Parker Hannifin grant: a technical improvement We join North Devon Hospice in offering our thanks to the Instrumentation Products Division Europe of Parker Hannifin. The global leader in motion and control technologies has given us a grant that has helped us to obtain a new video laryngoscope.

The video laryngoscope is a device that enables clinicians to have an enhanced view of the patient’s airway. It provides a clear and larger image of the airway, especially in scenarios where it is partially blocked or anatomically difficult to secure. To kit out our fleet of emergency vehicles, we are looking towards funding four new video laryngoscope units, ensuring that our team always has the best tool to hand.

“Parker provides a way for us to give something back to our community, which our team members really appreciate. We believe that donating to local charities can help make the world a better place,” says Jeff Ford, Division Operations Manager.

“All of us are proud to support the North Devon Hospice and the Devon Air Ambulance, and we are incredibly fortunate to have a such dedicated nursing team, air ambulance doctors and paramedics right here in the county.”

22 helipad • Winter 2023

Business Supporters

A warm thank you!

We’d like to show our appreciation to just a few of our incredible corporate supporters who have truly made a difference by supporting us this year!

Thank you Highfield Garage & Recovery Thanks to Highfields, we now have our very old trailer back in business all because of their amazing generosity. The trailer was collected from a dusty corner of our car park, cleaned up, made road worthy and delivered back to DAA before Highfields kindly paid for our fantastic new van wrap! It’s already been put to good use and the Fundraising Team can’t wait to use it fully in 2024. Amazing to work with yet another great local business.

We picked a perfect June day to head to Exeter Quay where we held our 7th Dragon Boat Festival! Fifteen teams took part, and all had the best time racing each other down the river Exe. Those amazing teams smashed our target of £20k, bringing in over £26k!

Congratulations to our gold medal finalists, CrossFit Isca.

Second place went to Nissan Exeter, and third place to Greenslade Taylor Hunt.

Thumbs up to the other teams too from our main sponsors, South West Water, RD&E Bramble Ward, RD&E Neonatal Ward, Plastic Surgeon, Nissan Wellington and Foundever, as well as to the Dazzling Dragons, Family of Floaters and Lyme Lizards Rowing Club.

Corporate Airbase Visits We were delighted to host a further two visits to our North Devon Airbase in June and August. Giving our business supporters a tour of our helicopter, critical care car and a review of the kit the crew uses daily really inspires our visitors. They benefited from a detailed understanding of how important funding like theirs is for the charity. Thank you to SD Solutions, Welcome Holiday Park, R&W Civil Engineering, Tangelo, Cornish Mutual and DPD Exeter. We are already looking forward to hosting more visits in 2024.

i

Our business relationships are mutually beneficial and are a fantastic way to achieve remarkable things. If you’re interested in supporting us, please contact Tracy Owen, Corporate Partnership Manager at: t.owen@daat.org or call: 07494 292384 • www.daat.org 23

New Shop and Community H DAA redefines how charity shops can impact the community with their most innovative shop yet.

W

e were thrilled to announce the grand opening of our new Barnstaple Charity Shop and Community Hub on Saturday 15 July, 2023.

The setting is not only a unique and innovative charity shop but it is also a vibrant Community Hub for local people to gather as well as to shop. The aim behind our latest retail venture is to foster a sense of belonging in a space dedicated to local people, where they can come together to connect and to support one another.

Local community groups are invited to meet up, either to enjoy their own interests and crafts such as a knit and natter, or to support the charity by mending donations in need of repair.

The centrepiece of this community workspace is a large table with seating for ten, which has been set up in memory of Averil Kingdon a much-loved former Devon Air Ambulance employee.

Averil worked for the charity for 17 years as Manager of the charity’s original Barnstaple shop just across the road from the new Community Hub. Sadly, Averil passed away earlier this year. She was well-known within the Barnstaple community for her networking with traders and different local groups while tirelessly raising the profile of Devon Air Ambulance within North Devon.

By and for the local community Located in Boutport Street not far from the town centre, the shop and Hub aims to breathe new life into preloved items, offering them a second chance to shine. The vast selection of kindly donated goods features a wide range of products, including clothing, accessories, footwear, homewares and more.

With a strong focus on sustainability and giving items a second chance, the charity has employed local tradespeople to utilise reclaimed timber and donated materials to complete the shop fit, even the display equipment was donated by their very supportive landlord who has supplied shop fittings from another store that had previously closed.

Breathing new life into a fantastic space The revitalised unit had remained empty for seven years, so it is refreshing to play our part in the regeneration of the town and taking the opportunity to revitalise an area in need of an anchor to draw people to beyond the Barnstaple centre.

Pete Vallance, Head of Business Development at Devon Air Ambulance, said, “What sets Barnstaple apart is our dedication to sustainability. By using reclaimed and donated materials wherever we can, we contribute to the reduction of waste and promoting a circular economy. In addition to our retail space, we are looking forward to hosting various community events,

24 helipad • Winter 2023

Barnstaple Community Hub

Hub Revitalises High Street workshops, and activities designed to engage and inspire the local population. We see our new store as a gathering place where individuals can learn new skills and enjoy each other’s company. Our goal is to help change and revive the high street, creating opportunities for local people, and promoting a more conscious and connected way of living. It’s a charity shop like no other found in Devon.”

The new shop is the operational base for our online clothing business: shopdaat.org, where hundreds more generously donated items are available to purchase. A team of staff and volunteers manage the e-commerce site from the Barnstaple hub including researching donations, picking, packing and posting the items to their new owners.

Benefits for North Devon patients Not only does this new shop act as a community hub, it also brings benefits to potential patients in North Devon. With a space for the charity’s rapid response Critical Care Car at the rear of the unit, the DAA clinical crew will be using this new location as base for their operations, enabling them to be dispatched quickly in the event of an emergency.

As with the majority of the Devon Air Ambulance charity shops, positioned at the front of the building there is also an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) available for community use 24/7 should anyone need to use it to assist someone in Cardiac Arrest.

The original DAA shop, just across the road from the new Community Hub remains open, stocking an enhanced range of books, media and DVD’s. 

Need a space?

If you are a local community group and you are interested in using the community workspace at DAA’s new Barnstaple shop, contact Shop Manager Kevin Brown at k.brown@daat.org for more information.

Make a purchase in one of our shops and help save a life • www.daat.org 25

Fundraisers

Former patient Alison gives back to the service A swift response from our crew helped Alison Stevens to come back from a life-threatening situation. Now Alison is giving back by lending her support.

I

t was a sunny afternoon in August last year when Alison was enjoying a tennis match with friends, but a misstep sent her crashing to the ground, where she severely fractured her skull.

“

Alison’s husband David received the distressing call and rushed to her side where the Devon Air Ambulance crew were already attending, delivering the urgent medical attention Alison needed. 

Critical Care Paramedics, Jess Thomas-Mourne and Paul White, assessed Alison’s condition, delivering the appropriate care, and ensured she was as comfortable as possible before conveying her to Plymouth’s Derriford Hospital. The trip took 20 minutes rather than the hour it would have taken by road.

Bringing people together over coffee Grateful for the lifesaving care she received from Devon Air Ambulance, Alison was determined to give back and organised a fundraising coffee morning in her home village of Tipton St John.

Friends, family, neighbours and even strangers came together to champion the cause, raising £2,424- a testament to the impact of the collective goodwill she inspired in support of the service.

Sharing her art in support Motivated by her own recovery following the assistance of Devon Air Ambulance, Alison also channelled her passion for art into creating portraits that capture the characters of our beloved companion animals. In doing so Alison hopes to be able to raise further funds for the service.

i

Could you raise vital funds for Devon Air Ambulance?

It’s thanks to supporters like Alison, whose lives we have touched, that we can continue to respond to hundreds of patients every year. Find out more about ways to support us at www.daat.org/fundraising

26 helipad • Winter 2023

”

Our Staff

Find out why bringing the DAA staff together for a day away from the office is an important part of our work.

The importance of a get together...

E

arlier this year almost all our staff from across the organisation (apart from our on-shift crew) assembled for our annual Staff Away Day. This annual occasion is an opportunity for colleagues to get together, reflect on the past year and participate in activities that help to make a positive impact in their day-to-day roles.

Devon Air Ambulance is a complex organisation made up of over 160 staff across diverse teams, including Flight Operations, Patient Services, Retail and Fundraising, as well as our multifaceted support services such as People, IT & Digital, Communications & Marketing, Finance and Facilities.

In June we headed to Exeter Racecourse to bring together 130 of our staff, along with members of our Board and Devon Air Ambulance’s Founder – Ann Ralli, all looking forward to the chance to interact with colleagues they may not typically see and to learn about the impact that they and their teams have had on Devon Air Ambulance.

This year’s focus was on our refreshed Values and Behaviours; a piece of work steered by staff. Our Values and Behaviours drive how we work with each other, they help inform the work that we do and the way we do it. Staff participated in workshops to discuss how the Values and Behaviours show up in ourselves, in our teams and how we go about our work. The task produced ‘Newspaper front pages’ and some amazing examples of our Values

including one from one of our Advanced Prehospital Practitioners – Andy Dunne.

Andy explained how every part of the organisation contributes towards our ultimate goal of saving lives. He has been told by long serving members of staff that there was a time when we didn’t have enough fuel to attend every job, which is a world away from where we stand today.

Colleagues were also introduced to our Wellbeing Ambassador colleagues. These Ambassadors have volunteered to be upskilled in areas such as Mental Health, First Aid and safeguarding, as well as being available to signpost staff to our available support services.

Staff heard from our founder, Ann Ralli, about her recent experience of needing paramedic services in her home in the United States. Her recent story highlighted the importance of the service we offer to the people of Devon which we couldn’t do without our amazing supporters throughout Devon and beyond.

We concluded the day with our Staff Awards, which focused on teams or projects that have demonstrated our refreshed values of Leading the Way, Taking Initiative and Achieving Our Best Together, as well as recognising the efforts of colleagues with long service, including our Chief Executive Officer – Heléna Holt, who has been at the helm for 15 years.

“

Devon Air Ambulance is a complex organisation made up of over 160 staff across diverse teams

” Our founder Ann Ralli

The event was a huge success and provided staff with a view to the future and how our organisiation will continue to develop for the benefit of everyone in and around Devon.  • www.daat.org 27

DAA on

location

Devon is the third largest county in the UK with an area of over 6,700km2.

From the air we see a lot of beautiful scenery as we attend our patients in the countryside, on the coast and throughout our towns and cities. Here are some recent snaps.

Paul and Nigel find their younger selves

DA A in action on th

e moors

28 helipad • Winter 2023

Photo Feature

ining for our

Hands on tra

crew

Taking in

l

risto oon at B M r e p u spital A Blue S ead Ho m h t u o S

e creams!

ic Devon County Show

Thanks to

the scen

ery

Noah an d Alfie ting don uts!

for dona

Can you guess wher e we’ve landed?

Send your pictures of our crew, aircraft and Critical Care Cars to: helipad@daat.org

i

• www.daat.org 29

Community Landing Sites

Night flights & landings The important part communities play in our ability to land at night.

W

e have been working with communities throughout Devon over several years to establish a network of almost 200 Community Landing Sites (CLSs) to support our night flying operations. These sites have enabled us to reach a great many patients during the hours of darkness.

In 2023 our Flight Operations team completed an extensive review commissioned by the Safety Committee of our night flying operations.

This pilot-led review examined pilot training and night flying since DAA began operating during the hours of darkness, and the new advances in technology on the aircraft such as the night vision goggles (NVG) used by pilots in flight.

In consultation with the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the Safety Committee was confident in assessing the feasibility of landing at Community Landing Sites without the use of a lighting column at the site, therefore we have been able to recommend crews can land at pre-surveyed sites without using the lighting column, but whilst using night vision goggles.

Future nighttime operations will therefore be able to land at un-surveyed sites and crews will have the flexibility to land at our CLS’s without lighting but under NVG. The CLS network remains a crucial part of our operational ability to reach our patients. Our review provides the opportunity to reach even more communities and establish CLS’s without lights in areas of Devon we have yet to reach. 

The continuing role of Community Landing Sites The importance of the CLSs in developing nighttime operations and the CLS network has been invaluable.

The network continues to provide pre-surveyed and managed sites that crews can choose to land at when tasked, which is a more efficient process than landing at un-surveyed sites. In this way communities continue to play a vital role.

further information on the network please contact i For Graham Coates, Devon Air Ambulance’s Landing Site Manager on:

01392 466666 or email Graham direct at landingsites@daat.org

30 helipad • Winter 2023

Flight Operations

Simulating Emergency Malfunction Procedures

Training Captains, Captain Steve Day (above) & Captain Andy Pincombe

Using advanced technology to ensure that our pilots understand everything there is to know about our helicopters.

D

evon Air Ambulance holds an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC), issued by the UK Civil Aviation Authority, which allows Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) operations in support of the Southwest Ambulance Service.

Many legislative conditions must be met to hold and maintain an AOC, one of which is the training and checking of flight crews.

All DAA pilots are highly experienced and have been trained to very high standards. Every six months they must undergo an Operator Proficiency Check (OPC). These checks are conducted by Devon Air Ambulance Training Captains, who are authorized Civil Aviation Authority Examiners.

Devon Air Ambulance (the EC135 and H145). The simulator allows the training and checking of all emergencies and scenarios, where the crew can be allowed to run the mission to its conclusion, safely.

For the EC135 helicopter that we operate, the simulator is located at Gloucestershire Airport where pilots conduct their OPCs over two days, flying approximately 3 hours in the simulator every 6 months.

For our newest helicopter, the H145, the nearest simulator is currently located in Germany, at the Airbus Helicopters training facility in Donauwörth. In the Autumn of 2023, Devon Air Ambulance will The OPC is designed to check that start utilising this simulator under our pilots have maintained their a new agreement, to enhance the competence in a wide range of training and checking of our H145 disciplines and procedures that pilots. Devon Air Ambulance’s Head are not necessarily practiced on a of Training, Captain Steve Day, said, day-to-day operational basis. These “Since we started operating our H145 include; aircraft systems emergency helicopter in 2020, our training and malfunction procedures such as, engine checking programme has relied solely The EC135 simulator based in Gloucestershire failures, engine fires, electrical system on flying the helicopter to conduct failures and flight control malfunctions.

OPCs. The H145 helicopter is a complex aircraft and by now being able utilise a simulator, we will be able to further The most comprehensive way to conduct these checks is by enhance and develop our flight crew’s depth of knowledge of utilising a simulator for the type of helicopters operated at the aircraft and its systems.”  • www.daat.org 31

Retail

A FRESH COFFEE

COLLABORATION We are excited to announce the launch of a new partnership with Owens Organic Coffee to introduce our own brand of ‘Crew’s Brew’ Tea and Coffee

- a bold and full-bodied coffee collaboration that will help to keep our crews responding.

C

rew’s Brew Coffee pouches and boxed tea will soon be available to purchase instore and online. At least £1 is donated to Devon Air Ambulance for each pack sold, so each purchase made is supporting our lifesaving charity. Crew’s Brew coffee is certified, traded, audited, and sourced from Fairtrade producers, so you can feel doubly good about your purchase.

Not only can you purchase packs of this delicious coffee to take home with you, but this new brand takes pride of place at our St. Marychurch charity shop where you can now enjoy a hot drink in store. St Marychurch provides a warm and welcoming atmosphere for visitors and is an inviting place to sit and enjoy a cozy cup of coffee or a steaming cup of tea with friends.

‘We have been collecting money for the Devon Air Ambulance Trust since we opened our shop to the public at The Roastery in Ivybridge. Now we are able to take this significant step further by providing the organisation with freshly roasted coffee to sell to its customers. The air ambulance crews do so much for our county, it is an honour for all our team to provide the charity with a new product that will directly help keep these life-saving crews responding.’

Pete Vallance, DAA Head of Business Development said, ‘As soon as we walked in the door of Owens roastery at Endsleigh near Plymouth and saw their empty coffee sacks being sold to raise funds for Devon Air Ambulance, it made sense to explore a Partnership for their quality products raising funds for a worthy cause.’ 

Speaking about our partnership, owner of Owens Coffee, Lorraine Bridden, said, ‘At Owens Coffee, sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. As well as considering our environmental impact, that also means supporting the people involved in producing, supplying, and buying our products, and the communities around them.’

i

Crew’s Brew will be available to purchase from all DAA shops and online at www.shopdaat.org

32 helipad • Winter 2023

Share your story If you have been assisted by our crew in any way please get in touch.

Your story could help save a life.

Why share my story?

Sharing a personal account of your experience can be incredibly powerful and inspire others to support our work.

i

How do I share my story?

Visit www.daat.org/your-story to share some initial information about your incident with Jessica in our Communications & Marketing Team, who will be in touch with you soon.

• www.daat.org 33

The terrible tragedy

of a

road traffic collision

Following the tragic incident in which she lost her daughter, Amanda channeled her grief into lending support.

S

adly, not all patients we attend have the happy outcomes we would wish for them. With road traffic collisions accounting for 16% of trauma incidents we were called to in 2022, sometimes a patient’s injuries are too severe, as Research Lead Paramedic & Advanced Prehospital Practitioner Nigel Lang describes, ‘I hope anyone affected by the tragic loss of a loved one can feel reassured that those who cared for them at the time, did so not only to a high clinical standard, but also in a compassionate and kind-hearted way.

‘We understand scientifically that our clinical care is right for patients; this is based on the latest evidence available to us. But we also know that kindness and reassurance are also really important.

‘It would be easy for me to say this is based on hard facts, but the truth is by witnessing suffering, we are moved to look after our patients with warmth and care, and in a way that we would wish for ourselves or our relatives.

‘However, it’s not always obvious whether a patient is suffering, for example, when a patient is unconscious. We care for them with compassion just the same, just as we do when a victim is deceased, we always work with care and dignity.’

“

Nigel Lang

The truth is by witnessing suffering, we are moved to look after our patients with warmth and care, and in a way that we would wish for ourselves or our relatives.

Amanda’s story Amanda Banks was one of those to lose a loved one in a road traffic collision last year.

34 helipad • Winter 2023

In May 2022, Amanda’s daughter, Jade, had dropped her mum off at Taunton Hospital for a routine surgery, however, when the procedure was suddenly cancelled and Amanda tried to call Jade to let her know, she didn’t answer her phone.

”

Unable to reach Jade, Amanda was picked up by her younger daughter, Paige, and they set off home before travelling on to the family’s business premises. Here, Amanda heard from a local trader about an accident on the A358 Ilminster to Taunton Road – a road that Jade would not typically have taken were she not detouring to pick up breakfast on her way to meet her partner.

Though she hoped Jade had merely been held up, Amanda immediately felt something was wrong and soon after she received the phone call that every parent dreads. Jade had been involved in a road traffic collision and was severely injured.

Amanda learned from police that Jade’s car had veered across the carriageway on the A358, hitting an oncoming lorry head on. Emergency services crews were quickly on scene, including the Devon Air Ambulance helicopter. Upon arrival, it was clear

Our Patients

“

We called her the Pied Piper, as children would follow her around as she entertained them all. She is dearly missed by so many.

”

from Jade’s injuries that she would need specialist critical care.

The medical team worked to stabilise Jade’s condition at the scene before flying her to Bristol’s Southmead Hospital. Jade had suffered a massive head injury and her right side had been crushed on impact.

Police took Amanda on blue lights to Bristol. Meanwhile Jade’s partner, sister, dad, and Bristol-based family, would meet her there. Along the way, Amada continued to let other family members and friends know about Jade’s accident.

Jade had arrived much sooner by air and had already been assessed and had undergone a CT scan. She was on her way to theatre when Amanda arrived. Sadly, just 20 minutes later, the medical team delivered the tragic news that Jade had passed away.

Amanda told us, “Jade was just 22 years old, a beautiful person, she was loved by so many people, especially her family, her wonderful partner Anthony, and, as a childminder, so many children. Jade had a natural love of little ones who absolutely adored her. From an early age she would babysit for friends and relations, looking after her cousin on a regular basis, we called her the Pied Piper, as children would follow her around as she entertained them all. She also had a part time job in the shop where we live so knew lots of people, she is dearly missed by so many.

their trees collected after Christmas. We can’t thank Devon Air Ambulance enough for giving Jade the best chance possible, I know she was given the best medical attention, but the impact of the collision was just too much for her to survive.” 

Anthony, Amanda, Sammy and also Jade’s sister Paige will be raising funds by running their Christmas tree collection scheme again this year so if you would like them to call and collect your Christmas tree in the Axminster area after the festive season, please contact Amanda on 07881 824322 or Anthony on 07841 991282.

Our family will never be the same, but in Jade’s memory, Anthony, her cousin Sammy and I are now proud Devon Air Ambulance volunteers, looking after collection boxes in our local area. Last Christmas, Anthony, kindly offered the use of his truck so that we could do a Christmas Tree collection which raised £520 for Devon Air Ambulance as people donated to have

Have you been assisted by our crews? Tell us your story • www.daat.org 35

The lasting impact of a legacy gift One of our fantastic supporters, Anne George, shares why a personal experience inspired her to remember us in her Will.

T

he emergency number 999 became manifest on 09/09/09 when I received a nightmarish phone call: “Your son has been involved in a road traffic accident.

He was knocked off his motorbike. We are taking him straight to theatre and then to ICU.” John’s injuries included multiple fractured bones and brain trauma. We stayed with him over the next six weeks during which he underwent a sequence of operations and experienced several medical emergencies with teams of doctors and nurses repeatedly acting to save his life.

Had it not been for the swift response of the nearby air ambulance service prior to John’s arrival in hospital, all those many people and their medical skills would have been in vain.

Time critical care The time saved thanks to the deployment of an emergency aircraft, and the skills brought to scene by its crew of experienced critical care paramedics, gave John a far improved chance ahead of his arrival at hospital.

impossible; I am incredibly grateful that John survived and that he has had the opportunity to have his own lovely family.

“

The time saved thanks to the deployment of an emergency aircraft, and the skills brought to scene by its crew of experienced critical care paramedics, gave John a far improved chance ahead of his arrival at hospital.

”

Timing was crucial and there was no question that John would not have survived the same journey to hospital by road.

One way I can express my gratitude for the air ambulance service is by supporting Devon Air Ambulance, which is my local air ambulance charity.

I’ll always be immensely grateful to the multiple teams and skilled individuals involved in John’s recovery, but it was the local air ambulance that gave him the opportunity to survive at all.

For the past 13 years, alongside my husband Peter, I have volunteered for Devon Air Ambulance. We collect the charity collection boxes in shops, garages, businesses and restaurants and we help elsewhere whenever we can.

Surviving and then thriving Fourteen years later and John is happily married with a wonderful 11-year-old son (who is already taller than me, his Nana!).

It’s important to me that I can help the service to be there to respond to time-critical situations like John’s well into the future, which is why I have added Devon Air Ambulance as a beneficiary in my will. I am pleased that my support will assist their amazing work after I am gone and their work will help to touch the lives of other families like mine. 

Repaying a debt that matches the extent of my gratitude feels 36 helipad • Winter 2023

Legacies and Wills

“

Repaying a debt that matches the extent of my gratitude feels impossible; I am incredibly grateful that John survived and that he has had the opportunity to have his own lovely family.

”

Anne with her

grandson

Right: Anne’s son John and his family.

• www.daat.org 37

Community Support

The West Country Farming & Machinery Show

A

fter a successful inaugural event in 2023, with over 2,000 attendees and 90 exhibitors, the West Country Farming & Machinery Show returns to Westpoint Arena on 21 February 2024.

With companies representing all facets of the farming industry, the show offers a unique platform for showcasing the latest advancements in farming technology, machinery, and services, with top machinery from the best manufacturers and thoughtprovoking seminars.

As the chosen show charity, and as part of our injury prevention project, our crew will be running a 45-minute Devon Air Ambulance, Accident Prevention Workshop. DAA Head of Operations, Darren Goodwin said, “We are delighted to be able to engage with our agricultural community at the West Country Farming and Machinery Show 2024. Our crew of specialist paramedics will be running a 45-minute Farming Injury Prevention Workshop. An interactive presentation, enabling those attending to get hands on with our team to help prevent and treat injuries that often happen in some of the most remote locations across the county.”

In February this year we attended the inaugural event at Westpoint which gave us the opportunity to engage with the farming community of Devon. At the show we talked with

farmers to learn from their experiences and better understand how we might collaborate in a bid to reduce agricultural incidents and improve outcomes for those working on farms and in remote locations.

Following these conversations, we intend to continue working with the agricultural community, further developing education and information on injury prevention, as well as providing education on farming safety protocols and minimising the impact on farming operations for our crew.

The West Country Farming & Machinery Show has over 70 exhibitors lined up for 2024 with more still to be booked, and will be sponsored by Vapormatic, Avon Tuning HD, Pöttinger and Gavin Dixon Finance Solutions Ltd.  Tickets for the event are free and can be acquired on the door or booked in advance via: westcountryfarmmachineryshow.co.uk

i

If you work in or have experience within the agricultural community and would like to offer your views, information and advice around injury prevention please email comms@daat.org

38 helipad • Winter 2023

Fundraising

Week of Thanks This October we held our third annual Week of Thanks, giving us the opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to those who have made our life saving missions possible this year.

During the week we acknowledged and celebrated just some of our amazing supporters who go the extra mile to aid our work and enable us to provide critical care where it is needed most.

As well as sending handwritten messages, we also enjoyed extending the personal touch by calling some individuals to express our sincere gratitude. We would love the opportunity to call each and every one of our donors to say thank you, but due of the generosity of our amazing community, this would probably take us all year!

On behalf of Devon Air Ambulance and the patients we meet, may we take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to each and every one of you, no matter how you might support our service, we are very grateful.

• www.daat.org 39

A

misjudged moment...

Former patient Sonia Allin shares her air ambulance story.

I

t was a beautiful summer day in 2011 and Sonia Allin was looking forward to meeting up with a special friend for a gettogether in Hatherleigh.

Sonia knew the route well and planned to stop and refuel her moped at the Beacon Garage on the A3124 Torrington to Winkleigh road. Dolton Beacon where she lived, was quite remote and Sonia relied on her trusty moped to get around the local area.

After refueling, Sonia was ready to get on her way, but first needed to navigate the awkward junction that crossed the carriageway. At the middle of the junction, she waited for a gap in the oncoming traffic.

She could see a Range Rover approaching and felt she had enough time to make a move.

As she edged out into the carriageway, she realised she had misjudged the speed at which the Range Rover was travelling and there was no way for the driver to avoid hitting her.

“

Sonia was assessed at the scene, where it was immediately apparent that her ankle had been severely dislocated, sitting at a right angle to her leg. Our crew knew that Sonia would need some strong painkillers so that they could manoeuvre her ankle back into position. This was essential to preserve blood flow, while also requiring a splint to hold it in place, making it stable for her onward journey.

The crew administered ketamine which would help Sonia to bear the discomfort of having her foot positioned back into place, it was at this point that Sonia can remember thinking she didn’t like our crew very much!

The back of the moped was clipped, sending Sonia and her bike shooting across the road, before finally coming to a stop, where the bike fell onto its side with Sonia trapped underneath.

The back of the moped was clipped, sending Sonia and her bike shooting across the road, before finally coming to a stop, where the bike fell onto its side with Sonia trapped underneath. Pulling herself free, Sonia didn’t realise the extent of her injuries and stood up, only to fall to the floor seconds later with a severe dislocation to her ankle.

A second driver, who happened to be a nurse at Barnstaple hospital, stopped to help and immediately rang 999 for urgent medical assistance, she also called Sonia’s husband to let him know about the incident. She didn’t know that her 999 call was the second one to be made as the team at the Dolton Garage opposite, who had witnessed the accident, were also straight on the phone to the emergency services.

40 helipad • Winter 2023

Police arrived on scene and immediately went about closing the road and securing the area. Though our Eaglescott aircraft is based nearby, the crew were already responding to another incident, so our Exeter helicopter was called to help, arriving just as the land ambulance crews got there.

”

Once Sonia was safely packaged and ready to fly, she was airlifted to Barnstaple hospital where she would undergo x-rays and further scans to check for unseen injuries.

Fortunately, her dislocated ankle was the only injury she had sustained.

Sonia was in hospital for a week, undergoing daily physiotherapy sessions and getting used to crutches. Her recovery involved having five different leg casts; the first was in place until the initial swelling from the injury had reduced, the second was changed due to an uncomfortable blister and another three were applied to make the injury more stable - at one point the swelling was so intense that she felt the plaster might crack! Sonia told us when we visited her recently: ‘I saw the air ambulance land in Pilton Park in Barnstaple some

Our Patients

“

I’d like to say thank you so much for all the support and reassurance given to me that day and the great care I received, I cannot thank the crew enough, they were so kind. I was particularly scared of flying as this was the first flight I had made in my entire life!

years after my incident and I thought then that I should share my story. It was the first time I had seen the helicopter up close since my incident. I even spoke with a crew member who happened to have attended my accident and even remembered my injury! Amazing!

It’s still taken me a while to get in touch, but I’d like to say thank you so much for all the support and reassurance given to me that day and the great care I received, I cannot thank the crew enough, they were so kind. I was particularly scared of flying as this was the first flight I had made in my entire life! They kept me calm and made me feel safe. I remembered asking one of the crew if we had taken off yet and was told with a smile, “We’re about to land in Barnstaple.” We had been airborne for seven minutes and I hadn’t even realised!”

”

Sonia is still in touch with the kind nurse who stopped her car to help at the roadside and almost 12 years since the accident she still feels some pain when the weather is cold – she is also cautious about keeping her ankle protected to prevent any further injury. Due to the swift action of bystanders and the medical professionals that came to her aid, she made an excellent recovery. 

i

Have we helped you?

Get in touch and tell us your story...

During 2022 Devon Air Ambulance responded to 294 road traffic collisions

• www.daat.org 41

Gardens

Bamboozlement

&Watchwords

Richard Wilson says, “Being a professional horticulturist with the RHS is an incredibly stimulating job in many ways and keeping abreast of the myriad trends, challenges and changes is key to enabling us to answer our visitors’ questions in an informed manner.”

A

prime example of this is plants having their names changed, it is an ongoing process and really keeps us on our toes! As a result of scientists being able to study plants at a molecular level, some of our garden favourites (usually with easy to remember names) now have much more memory challenging titles. The ever-popular late colour specialist Michaelmas Daisy, known by us all for generations as the Aster is now Symphyotrichum. The humble Stonecrop, or Sedum, a favourite late flowering bee magnet, should now be known as Hylotelephium. My final example (of the many) is Russian Sage, our Perovskia at RHS Garden Rosemoor is a standout star in both the Cool Garden and Long Border and is now known as Salvia.

Winter is a great time to take stock of your garden and, if necessary, to plan your adjustments. Your changes could be based on many factors: “plant health”, “resilience”, wanting to be more “sustainable” or “adapting” to “climate change”. The five key watchwords mentioned in my previous sentence are primarily and importantly what dictates most of our decision making when determining the future of our garden areas at work and at home.

Hemerocallis ‘Absolute Zero’ is a Daylily that steps away from the vibrant, hot colours, being almost white. Hardy and perfect for the Cool Garden colour palette.

Artemisia ludoviciana ‘Valerie Finnis’ AGM is a semi evergreen perennial with woolly, white foliage and mimosa-like flower towers, great to weave through blues and yellows.

As for an evergreen alternative to Pittosporum or Box, I’m turning to Phillyrea angustifolia, known as the False Olive, with small white fragrant flowers and lance shaped leaves, it is low maintenance once established.

Regardless of your particular tastes, garden style or individual requirements, winter is the time to take stock, think, research and plan for a less vulnerable garden. Enjoy.  Hemerocallis ‘Absolute Zero’

We have all had our gardens baked in recent summers and through personal experience and discussion with many home gardeners, the short cold snap at the beginning of December 2022 took a huge toll on many evergreen stalwarts such as Pittosporums and Hebes.

I was fortunate enough this year to work on a key show garden at Hampton Court with an eminent and well-respected horticulturist. It was a golden opportunity to glean inspiration and take away plant lists to add resilience to my green spaces, both at work and home. After much deliberation, the following beauties are among those to have made the shortlist.

Achillia ‘lachsschonheit’ (Salmon Queen) (Galaxy Series), this Yarrow is robust and able to grow in poor soils, broad flower heads start salmon pink with orange tints, fading to pink and cream, what’s not to like?

Symphyotrichum novi-belgii ’Bahamas’ Artemisia ludoviciana ‘Valerie Finnis’

Richard Wilson RHS Rosemoor Horticulturist I have been at RHS Garden Rosemoor since May 2015 as a member of the Formal Gardens team, responsible for the Cool Garden and one of our two woodland play areas. I live in Fremington and enjoy contributing to a number of voluntary projects including Torrington in Bloom. I run competitively for Torrington AAC, enjoy cycling and am currently walking the SW Coast path during the summer months

42 helipad • Winter 2023

Perovskia ‘Blue Spire’.

Prize Crossword

Crossword

Thank you to everyone who entered our Helipad Prize Crossword in the Summer 2023 issue – Liam from Exeter was the winner of the Eaglescott airbase visit.

Well done Liam!

As usual, we hope you enjoy this new crossword which tests your general knowledge.

Correct answers will be entered into a draw for a chance to win £50 VOUCHER FOR A DELICIOUS MEAL AT THE BEER ENGINE PUB in Newton St Cyres near Exeter. The brewery is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year!

Clues Across

1 4 10 11 12 13 15

The sea between Greece and Turkey (6) Deadlock between two equally matched opponents (5,3) Town in East Devon, famous for its lace (7) A salt with the chemical NO2 (7) Historically a contest between two people armed with pistols (4) Defeat someone using superior strength (10) A straight, close-fitting silk dress with a high neck often associated with China (9) 16 Famous Tavistock college (5) 18 River that forms part of the boundary between Cornwall and Devon (5) 19 Something on a human or animal that ‘sticks out’ from the body, like an arm or leg (9) 21 Someone who is found of Russia (10) 23 At a distance (4) 26 A unit of energy related to the nutritional value of food stuffs (7) 27 A dark shade of colour between burgundy and purple (7) 28 Torn up – like your morning wheat? (8) 29 Specific types of robberies, often associated with large scale thefts of jewels, gold or safety deposit boxes (6)

Clues Down

1

2 3 5 6 7 8 9 14 15 17 19 20 22 24 25

A small bug that causes extensive damage to plants by sucking their sap (5) In ancient Rome, the part of a building set aside only for women (9) The highest adult male singing voice (4) An uncontrolled outburst of anger or frustration (7) The process of interacting with others to develop social or professional connections (10) A small oval fruit, a rich source of oil (5) Chosen as the fastest swimming stroke, usually the front crawl (9) Another name for the Jacks in a pack of cards (6) Not equipped with defensive protection (10) A medical condition in which the lens of the eye becomes opaque (9) Game involving vaulting over a crouched person (8) A person proficient in sport (7) An unhealthy, pale appearance (6) Relating to the sun (5) To be carried in a vehicle or on horseback (5) A woodwind instrument with a double-reed mouthpiece (4)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

16

17

8

9 10

11

12

13 14

15

18

21

19

20

22

23

24

25 26

28

27

29

How to enter (and terms and conditions) Complete the crossword to reveal the letters in the blue shaded boxes – simply solve the anagram to identify a word relating to DAA. Enter online at www.daat.org/winter-crossword-2023 or by writing your name, contact details and the answer on a postcard and posting to : The Editor, Helipad Crossword Competition Winter 2023, Devon Air Ambulance, 5 Sandpiper Court, Harrington Lane, Exeter, EX4 8NS. The competition is free to enter, one entry per person.

The closing date for entries to be received is midnight on 31 March, 2024 when the successful winning entry will be selected at random.

Full Terms and Conditions can be found at: www.daat.org/crossword-winter-2023-terms-and-conditions or by writing to The Editor at the above address.

Spring/Summer 2023 Solution The answer to the anagram was: DEFIBRILLATOR ACROSS: 1 Aegean 4 Stand Off 10 Honiton 11 Nirtrite 12 Duel 13 Overpowers 15 Cheong Sam 16 Kelly 18 Tamar 19 Appendage 21 Russophile 23 Afar 26 Calorie 27 Oxblood 28 Shredded 29 Heists DOWN: 1 Aphid 2 Gynaeceum 3 Alto 5 Tantrum 6 Networking 7 Olive 8 Freestyle 9 Knaves 14 Unarmoured 15 Cataracts 17 Leapfrog 19 Athlete 20 Pallor 22 Solar 24 Rides 25 Oboe

• www.daat.org 43

THANK YOU! To our amazing lottery members!

We are so pleased to see our weekly lottery growing from strength-to-strength, which we couldn’t have achieved without the fantastic support of our lottery members.

Our recent telephone upgrade campaign has also been a great success, with over 1,000 existing members taking out an additional ‘lucky’ number – equating to over £52,000 further income for our service!

With over £2.2m generated in 2022, this additional £52,000 will enable the charity to invest more into what we do best: bringing time-critical emergency care to patients.

It is our Vision to end preventable death, disability or suffering from critical illness or injury. Working towards our vision would not be possible without your ongoing support.

L

ucky thi rtee n

Not a member yet?

How tohow playtoour Lotteryone of Here’s become

In person - Join with our team of canvassers by our 13 lucky weekly winners!

Direct Debit or Cheque

How to play our Lottery How How to to play play our our Lottery Lottery How to play our Lottery

www.daat.org/play-our-lottery

Join securely online Howdaat.org/play-our-lotte to play our Lottery ry Phone or email - Contact our Lottery team Online - Join via our secure on-line application

by Direct Debit

In person - Join with our team of canvassers by In person - Join with our team of canvassers by Direct Debit or Cheque In person - Join with our team of canvassers by Direct Debit or Cheque Direct Debit orvia Cheque Online Join our secure on-line applicationby In person - Join with our team of canvassers Online - Join our secure on-line application by Direct Debit Direct Debit orvia Cheque Online Join via our secure on-line application

by Direct Debit lottery@daat.org Direct Debit Phone email Contact our Lottery team www.daat.org/play-our-lotteryby Online or - Join via -our secure on-line application Phone or Debit email - Contact our Lottery team direct

by Direct Phone direct or email - Contact our Lottery team direct By postor- Download an application form from Phone email - Contact our Lottery team 01392 469886 By post - Download application form from our website and fill inan your details before posting direct By - Download application form from ourpost website and fill inan your details before posting our website and fill in your details before posting By post - Download an application form from our website and fill in your details before posting lottery@daat.org

01392 469886

In person - Join with our team of canvassers by direct Direct Debit or Cheque

By post - Download an application form from Online - Joinand via fill ourinsecure on-linebefore application our website your details posting

by Direct Debit

Or easier still, you can now also join by scanning our QR code

How the draw works

Phone or email - Contact our Lottery team direct

How works...

How itthe draw works

www.daat.org/play-our-lottery www.daat.org/play-our-lottery www.daat.org/play-our-lottery 01392 469886 www.daat.org/play-our-lottery 01392 469886 01392 469886 lottery@daat.org 01392 469886 lottery@daat.org lottery@daat.org lottery@daat.org

How the works Within of joining members form receive a welcome letter confirming their “lucky” HowBecome the adraw draw works you’ll receive a welcome letter By post10- days Download an application from member and post via Register number(s) and fill inour your details before posting How our towebsite play Lottery Howconfirming the draw number(s). your luckyworks info more forwinning website our totakes Howhead to play Lottery The draw each Friday and In person - Join place withour our team of canvassers bynumbers are randomly drawn by computer Lucky winning numbers are drawn each friday randomly by

Within 10 days of joining members receive a welcome letter confirming their “lucky” Within 10 days of joining members receive a welcome letter confirming their “lucky” number(s) Within 10 days of joining members receive a welcome letter confirming their “lucky” number(s) number(s) The draw takesofplace each Friday and winning numbers are randomly computer Within 10 days joining members receive a welcome letter confirmingdrawn their by “lucky” The draw number(s) takes place each Friday and winning numbers are randomly drawn by computer Direct Debit or Cheque computer.

The draware takes place eachnotified Friday and winning numbers are randomly drawn byare computer Winners automatically by phone, so NO need to claim, and winnings sent by In personare - Join with our team of canvassers

by NO need to claim, Winners automatically notified by phone, so and winnings are sent by www.daat.org/play-our-lottery Winners are automatically notified by phone, sonumbers NO needare to claim, and winnings sent by BACS direct to their bank account The draw takes place each Friday and winning randomly drawn byare computer Direct Debit or Cheque BACS direct to their bank account Winners are automatically notified by phone, so NO need to claim, and winnings are BACS direct their bank account by phone and winnings paid directly to sent by Online - Join via our secure on-line application areto notified Winners www.daat.org/play-our-lottery Within 10 days of joining members receive a welcome letter confirming their “lucky” BACS direct to on their bank account All results are our website and shared on our social media

by Direct Debit Winners areaccount automatically notifiedis byno phone, so NO to claim, and winnings are sent by claim. toneed need - there bank your number(s) All results are ourbank website and shared on our social media Online - Join on-line application All results arevia onour oursecure website and shared on our social media 01392 469886 BACS direct to on their account In person - Join with our team ofare canvassers by shared on our social media All results on our website and

How the draw works of our events

Join at one How to play our Lottery or speak to a door-to-door canvasser by Direct Phone or Debit email - Contact our Lottery team

are published on our website Results All results are on our website and shared on our social media www.daat.org/play-our-lottery

Direct 01392 Debit 469886 The drawour takes place each Friday and winning numbers are randomly drawnor byCheque computer Team Lottery Call direct and social media pages Phone or email - Contact our Lottery team lottery@daat.org are automatically notified by phone, so NO need to claim, and -winnings areour sentsecure by direct option 466666 Online Join via on-line application onWinners By 01392 post - Download an application form from 3 lottery@daat.org BACS direct to their bank account our website and fill in your details before posting

by Direct Debit By post - Download an application form from All onfillour website andbefore sharedposting on our social media ourresults websiteare and in your details

the draw works i How How the draw works

Phone or email - Contact our Lottery team Please welcome our new Individual Giving Manager, direct Courtney Buchanan.

Courtney overseeing our in-house lottery and their donor giving in this exciting new Within 10will daysbe of joining members receive a welcome letter confirming “lucky” By post - Download an application form role number(s) and comes with 6 years of experience too.

We are so pleased to have her onfrom board Within 10 days of joining members receive a welcome letter confirming their and “lucky” our website fill in your details before posting number(s) as part of our Fundraising Team!

The draw takes place each Friday and winning numbers are randomly drawn by computer

lottery@daat.org

How the draw works

The draware takes place eachnotified Friday and winning randomly drawn byare computer Winners automatically by phone, sonumbers NO needare to claim, and winnings sent by BACS direct to their bank account Winners are automatically notified by phone, so NO need to claim, and winnings are sent by • Winter 2023 BACS direct to on their account All results are ourbank website and shared on our social media

44 helipad

01392 469886

All results are on our website and shared on our social media

Within 10 days of joining members receive a welcome letter confirming their “lucky”

Lottery Membership Application Lottery Membership Application

Thesum sum of of (tick boxbox only) The (tickone one only) 1 Number 1 Chance

£4.34 Monthly Monthly £4.34

DAATLottery Lottery Office, Office,55 Sandpiper SandpiperCourt, Court,Harrington HarringtonLane, Lane,Exeter ExeterEX4 EX48NS 4NS DAAT Tel: 3 orisemail lottery@daat.org The01392 above466666 postalOption address all you need when contacting us by post.

Staff I/D Number

2 Numbers 2 Chances £8.68 £8.68 Monthly Monthly ❑ £26.00 Quarterly ❑ £26.00 Quarterly £52.00 Half Yearly ❑ £52.00 Annually Six Monthly £104.00 ❑

£52.00 Annually NB: Monthly subscription first£104.00 paymentAnnually is £5 per number FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Official Use Only

Payments to be paid on either 6th, 13th, 20th or 27th of each month First payment due immediately and thereafter on 6th or 20th of each month.

HP1116 HP1023

Your Details

❑ £13.00 Quarterly ❑ £13.00 Quarterly £26.00 Half Yearly ❑ £26.00 Six Monthly £52.00 Annually ❑

PLEASE COMPLETE IN FULL - BLOCK CAPITAL LETTERS

Mr / Mrs / Miss / Other First Name Surname Date of Birth

Instruction to your bank or building society to pay by Direct Debit Please fill in the form and send to: DAAT Lottery, 5 Sandpiper Court, Harrington Lane, Exeter EX4 8NS.

Name and full postal address of your bank or building society To: The M anager

Address

Service user number

14

74

72

22

77

46

B a n k / b u ild in g s o c ie t y

Address

Postcode

Postcode Telephone

Name(s) of account holder(s)

Email I Confirm I am 16 yrs of age or over

Branch sort code

Cheque Payment - Amount Received £..................

For

entries @ £1 per week per entry

Lottery promoted by Devon Air Ambulance Trust.

Devon Air Ambulance Trust is licensed by the Gambling Commission, Number 000-0005032-N-308657-001.

Responsible person: D. Hawes www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk Please gamble responsibly. For advice visit www.gambleaware.co.uk DAAT is a member of the Lotteries Council and is committed to promoting a responsible approach to gambling.

Contact us at : T: 01392 466666 Option 3 E: lottery@daat.org www.daat.org

Administration Office: DAAT Lottery Office, 5 Sandpiper Court, Harrington Lane, Exeter EX4 8NS. You will shortly receive a letter from us showing your lucky number/s.

There is no need to claim as all prizes are paid automatically.

All proceeds go to support the Devon Air Ambulance Trust, charity No 1077998. Your subscription is greatly appreciated as our lottery raised over £2m in 2022 which helps to keep our crews responding.

We receive no funding from either the Government or the National Lottery. We rely on your support, to help us to continue our essential lifesaving service.

Results are published every Friday afternoon on our website at: www.daat.org.

Thank you for your support - you are truly making a difference.

Bank/building society account number

Instruction to your bank or building society Please pay DAAT Lottery 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 The Air Ambulance Lottery Society and, if so, details will be passed electronically to my bank/building society.

Signature(s)

Date

• All customer funds intended for the use in future gambling and or lottery subscriptions will be held in a separate bank account or accounts relating to the relevant affiliated charity lottery and will be completely separate from the Charity’s trading income.

• We are required by our licence to inform customers about what happens to funds which we hold on account for you, and the extent to which funds are protected in the event of insolvency. www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/consumers/protection-of-customer-funds.aspx We hold customer funds separate from Charity’s funds. This means that steps have been taken to protect customer funds but that there is no absolute guarantee that all funds will be repaid. This meets the Gambling Commission’s requirements for the segregation of customer funds at the level: medium protection.

• The licensee operates a strict no ‘cash policy’ to prevent the risk of crimes such as money laundering, to avoid the giving of illicit credit and to provide assurances that gambling activities are being conducted fairly.

Banks and building societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of account.

By signing this form you agree to the lottery terms and conditions. For a copy of the terms and conditions please call 01392 469886.

This Guarantee should be retained by the payer.

The Direct Debit Guarantee

• This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits.

This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to • If there are any changes to the amount, date or pay Direct Debits frequency of your Direct Debit DAAT Lottery will notify you five (5) If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit PSL re working dayswill in advance of5your account debitedoforyour as otherwise agreed.

If DAAT Lottery notify you working daysbeing in advance account being debited request DAAT Lottery to collect payment, confirmation of the amountaand oryou as otherwise agreed.

If you requesta The PSL re DAAT Lottery to collect payment, date will be given to you at the time of the request. confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request • Ifananerror errorisismade madeininthe thepayment paymentof ofyour yourDirect Direct Debit, Debit, by

by PSL DAATreLottery your If DAAT or Lottery building society, you areyou entitled to a fulltoand immediate

orbank youror bank or building society, are entitled a full and immediate refund of refund of the amount paidbank from or your bank or building society. the amount paid from your building society youreceive receiveaarefund refund you you are are not not entitled entitled to, to, you you must – -IfIfyou must pay pay itit back back when when PSL re DAAT DAATLottery Lotteryasks asksyou youto. to.

•You Youcan cancancel cancelaaDirect DirectDebit Debitat atany any time time by by simply simply contacting contacting your your bank bank or or building

buildingWritten Society.

Written confirmation may be required.

Please also society. confirmation may be required.

Please also notify us.notify us.

DAA would like to keep you informed about our work, how your support has helped to keep our helicopters in the air and how you can be involved in the future. We take the protection of your personal information very seriously and don’t share your data with any third party. If you would like to receive our Helipad magazine or occasional information about our charity please tick the relevant boxes below: Please contact me by email ¨ Please contact me by post ¨ Please contact me by telephone ¨ Please contact me by SMS message ¨

To read our Supporter Promise: Visit www.daat.org/supporter-promise or to request a copy, email fundraising@daat.org or ring 01392 466666 To read our Privacy Statement: Visit www.daat.org/gdpr-statement or, to request a copy, email: fundraising@daat.org or ring 01392 466666

#

We would like to use winners name and general location for our weekly results on our website/poster.

Please tick here if you are happy for us to use this information ¨

Promotional Feature

Devon is the destination of choice D evon is a county famous for its charming rural villages, historic riches, rugged coastlines, wild moorland and beautiful beaches - all popular with seasonal visitors.

The serene charm of Devon as a favourite vacation destination is matched by its family-friendly holiday provision in seaside park resorts like Dawlish Warren, where visiting families can enjoy swimming pools, nightly entertainment and comfortable accommodation, all a short walk from the blue-flag beach.

For relaxation and adventure Devon has something for everyone: adventure enthusiasts, history buffs or simply those who long to sit peacefully with a refreshment while the kids play.

Whether it’s to enjoy the Dartmoor National Park and the incomparable beaches of the English Riviera, or just to chill in a holiday resort that features abundant outdoor seating for dining and relaxing with play parks for the youngsters, there is much to recommend to those thinking about a visit.

While Devon is a perfect location to satisfy the appetites of visitors and local people alike, everyone can feel reassured that Devon also boasts two emergency aircraft and two critical care cars that respond to emergency incidents across the sprawling county.

Here for the people of Devon and its visitors With a great holiday destination like Devon, making lasting memories with loved ones is the easy part – especially for children of all ages who love to swim, play and create their own adventures.

Welcome Holidays is proud to give back to Devon communities by supporting Devon Air Ambulance and the charity’s pivotal role in coming to the assistance of residents and visitors alike should the need arise.  To book family-friendly fun in 2024 visit:

www.welcomefamily.co.uk

t

D

AIR A M

ON

R

N

BU

LANCE

Prou

d

O

46 helipad • Winter 2023

ESSE IN to Suppor S

DEV

Contact comms@daat.org to discuss booking an advertisement feature space in a future edition of Helipad.

BUS

or phone 03451 656265

B OA

Christmas Kit Appeal 2023

A gift from your heart...

...to their hands Donate at: bit.ly/your-heart-their-hands

Registered charity no. 1077998

Help to keep us kitted up this winter

Visit

shopdaat.org/basement

Grab a great winter coat or a Christmas party outfit!

Visit shopdaat.org/basement • Find a bargain before they go • New items added every week • Quality brands in great condition