Bee a fundraiser for Essex Air Ambulance

Written byADAM LUKE (Saffron Walden Weekly News)

A charity worker was transformed into a Bumble Bee to launch
a fundraising campaign at Stansted Airport.

Sabi Blyth, of the Essex Air Ambulance, took to the terminal building painted from head to toe in yellow to promote September’s Go Yellow Week.

The colourful initiative is focused on raising money for and awareness about the county’s yellow life-saving helicopter, through fun yellow-inspired events.It will coincide with National Air Ambulance Week, from September 23 to 29.

Schools, businesses, community groups and individuals are encouraged to join in by wearing yellow for the day or holding events like a ‘Yellow Hair Day’ or ‘Yellow Cake Sale’.Helena Morgan, head of fundraising at Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Trust, said: “Go Yellow is such a fun and easy way to support the charity - the list of fundraising ideas is endless and it’s all about raising vital funds and awareness of your life-saving helicopter so that it can continue attending to the seriously ill and injured in the region.”

To register to take part in Go Yellow or find out more, contact Sabi on 0845 2417 690 or email Sabi@EHAAT.uk.com.

Runners Take Off for Stansted’s First
Charity Runway Run

Scores of runners took off for an early morning run along Stansted Airport’s runway today (June 24) to raise vital funds for Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust, the airport’s chosen Charity of the year.

At 3am on a cold and blustery Monday morning, 70 airport staff and Air Ambulance supporters sprinted, jogged and walked the 6km course for the inaugural fun run along the airport’s 3048 metre long runway.

Stansted Airport Corporate Social Responsibility Manager, Marcella M’Rabety, said: “This is the first time ever the airport has opened up its runway for such a unique event.  It allows staff and our business partners the chance to run along one of the busiest runways in the country, all in aid of our wonderful charity partner, the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Trust. The airport is delighted to be able to back the Trust during 2013 and by supporting them we will also play our part in saving lives of people who live in our region. Having a charity partner allows us to provide strong focus to the airport’s fundraising efforts and helps us play a critical role in supporting good causes in our local community.”

Helena Morgan, Head of Fundraising at Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust, said: “We are honoured that Stansted Airport opened up their runway today for the very first time for such a unique fundraising event! I was lucky enough to take part in the run along with five colleagues from the Charity, a number of Stansted Airport staff and Air Ambulance supporters. This is such a novel idea to help raise much needed funds for your local Air Ambulance to continue saving lives. We are very excited about our new partnership with Stansted Airport and look forward to more interesting events throughout the year.”

During the year, airport staff are taking part in a number of events to raise funds and awareness for the life-saving charity. In May a team of pedal-pushers from the airport took part and raised funds at the Essex Air Ambulance Colne Valley Cycle Ride and in September a range of events are planned to celebrate National Air Ambulance week.

Dame Helen Mirren celebrates exceptional ambulance volunteers

Dame Helen Mirren presented awards to volunteer life-savers at a City Hall ceremony on Sunday 9 June.

The London Ambulance Service awards, which were attended by over 200 people, recognised the life-saving work of its Voluntary Responder Group.

Dame Helen became involved in the charity after her friend was resuscitated from a cardiac arrest at the premiere of her film The Debt in Mayfair two years ago. She told how her friend was only alive today thanks to the quick thinking actions of police officers who saw him collapse. Dame Helen said: “Chris is alive today because he was given CPR and shocked by a defibrillator. More of these life saving machines should be available across London to give others a chance of survival.”

Community and emergency responders have life saving skills and volunteer to respond to patients in their communities alongside ambulance crews. Six members of the charity were rewarded for their commitment for saving lives from 73 nominations.

Dame Helen said: “It was an honour to be in the presence of people who give their time to save the lives of others.”

Ambulance Operations Manager Chris Hartley-Sharpe, who coordinates the charity, said: “The standard of the nominations was extremely high and demonstrates what dedicated volunteers we have.


“London Ambulance Service staff get to a vast majority of patients quickly, but as many of the stories from tonight show, our volunteers start giving lifesaving care to patients almost immediately, giving them the best chance of survival.”

Several patients were among those who were invited to attend the ceremony. Winners were presented with glass trophies and defibrillators which they will donate to a chosen location.   

The awards night was made possible by generous support from Physio Control.

Ambulance volunteer numbers spiral

VOLUNTEER numbers have doubled at the ambulance service. 

More than 50 people contacted the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust to become first responders during National Volunteer Week last week. 

Spokesman Lorna Hayes said: "It was a fantastic week for us as our volunteers work extremely hard to get out into the communities that they serve.There are still areas in the region that we would like more volunteers so if you can spare any time at all I would encourage you to please contact us."

Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust Host the

4^th Aeromedical Conference 2013

On Wednesday 19^th June 2013, Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust (EHAAT) will host the 4th Aeromedical Case Study Conference at Ford Dunton, near Basildon in Essex, the largest automotive technical centre in the UK, which houses the main design team of Ford of Europe.

The aim of this free conference is to give like-minded professionals the opportunity to meet and examine topical key aeromedical matters. Chaired by Dr Gareth Davies, Consultant in Emergency Medicine & Pre-Hospital care, London’s Air Ambulance/Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust; this year’s conference will see a range of speakers present around the themes of ‘Are we ready for the next Terror Attack?’ and  ‘Clinical Innovation’.

Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust would like to thank Ford Dunton for kindly supplying the venue and headline sponsor Medical Aviation Services - without their support this event would not take place.

LIFESAVING BOX FOR

STICKY WICKETS IN WOMBOURNE

Cricketers in Wombourne are now equipped to help people in cardiac arrest thanks to the installation of a lifesaving box.

Tucked away in the South Staffordshire countryside is Beacon Cricket Club on Trysull Road in Wombourne. With more than 100 members, young and old, and a busy calendar of coaching sessions, matches and county cricket games drawing in hundreds of spectators, the club is an ideal location for a defibrillator.

Last Tuesday (4^th June) saw the club take delivery of an automated external defibrillator from the Trust; a device used to restart someone’s heart when they’re suffering a cardiac arrest.

    

Sarah Hodgetts is a Senior Night Sister at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. When she’s not at work, Sarah is a volunteer life saver with South Staffordshire First Responders and is also an advanced life support instructor. Sarah recently trained ten members of the cricket club in basic life support and the use of the defibrillator. She said: “The cricket club is off the beaten track, down a narrow country lane and because it’s in quite an isolated place it’s easy to miss it when you walk or drive past.

“By having a defibrillator on an active and well used site such as this with people trained in basic life support means that if a cricketer, spectator or a member of the public nearby were to suffer a cardiac arrest, emergency treatment could start straight away whilst an ambulance or a community first responder like me was en route.”

Roger Siers, Chairman at Beacon Cricket Club, said: "Through our relationship with the local CFR group, we’re very pleased to have secured the custody of the defibrillator. Through this and the appropriate training we have received it is a comfort to know that in the event of us having a serious life threatening emergency then we have the training and equipment to deal with it, until the emergency services arrive, and hopefully save someone's life.

“Previously in my 30 odd years with Beacon Cricket Club and amateur sport in the area, I can recall two serious incidents that thankfully were resolved by the professional's, but could have been worse. Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone of any age and any level of fitness, we derive comfort to know that as a local amateur sports club, we are better prepared to deal with a cardiac arrest should it occur."

THANK YOU TO OUR

VOLUNTEER LIFE SAVERS AND SUPPORTERS

Volunteers who help to save lives and support emergency work in the West Midlands are being thanked by ambulance bosses as part of National Volunteers Week.

Dedicated air ambulance charity fundraisers, voluntary aid societies, volunteer car drivers and over 1,100 Community First Responders (CFRs) help us to keep saving lives in the West Midlands each year. 
Water and land rescue charities and 4x4 groups from across the region provide the Trust with support through harsh winters, periods of high demand and at the scene of incidents when skill and time are of the essence.

A host of businesses and organisations also help the ambulance service to save lives by giving funding to CFR groups to ensure they have all the latest equipment and even donate dedicated vehicles. Others house an automated external defibrillator (a device used to restart a heart when someone suffers a cardiac arrest) and take part in CPR training to ensure their staff know what to do in the event of an emergency.

Daren Fradgley, Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer, said: “Thank you to all of the volunteers who provide essential help to patients in the West Midlands, whether directly or indirectly.

“Supporting any facet of the ambulance service, be it the Trust itself, your local CFR group or air ambulance charity, means a great deal to West Midlands Ambulance Service and helps to ensure we continue to provide life-saving care to patients who need it the most.

“Very often we don’t say thank-you enough. On behalf of all of our staff, thank you to all that you do. I am very proud of all of you; all of our volunteers and all of our staff, regardless of the role you fulfill.”

Plymouth ambulance service could go private

Non-emergency ambulance services in Plymouth and west Devon could be handed over to a private company next week.A number of firms, as well as South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust (SWAST), have been bidding for the five-year contract.But Devon Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is not yet revealing the name of its preferred provider.It has already handed over the service in north and east Devon to NSL, formerly car park firm NCP.

The name of the Plymouth and west Devon service provider is not being revealed until after a 10-day "standstill period" to allow unsuccessful bidders to challenge the decision, the CCG said.

The aim of the new contract is to give better value for money. No-one from health union Unison wanted to comment until the name of the new provider was revealed.

The service, which provides transport for less mobile patients, to and from hospital and other appointments, has been provided by the SWAST. It transports more than 300,000 people every year around the region, but its services are being put out to contract in Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset, Gloucester or Wiltshire.