Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is asking the public to support this year’s Air Ambulance Week which takes place between September 9-15.
During the week, the charity has a number of awareness and engagement activities planned but is also hoping that the community will organise events in aid of the charity, sign-up for its weekly lottery (£5 per month), make a one-off donation of £10 or pledge a regular donation in support the charity’s critical work. 
With operational costs of nearly £10 million a year and the approximate cost of one mission equating to £3,500, every pound raised during Air Ambulance Week will play a vital role in helping the air ambulance crew to continue saving lives.
One way of raising money is by holding a ‘Brew for the Crew’ event which encourages people to get together for a catch up over a cuppa in return for a donation to the charity.
Charles Hackett, CEO, Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance said: “Last year we were tasked to over 2,900 incidents; the charity’s busiest year on record. In some ways this is good news, as each year we are able to bring vital, life-saving care to more patients who need it, with more people being helped and saved.
“But, at the same time, it shows how many people in our area need the enhanced and critical care that we provide, care that is otherwise not available outside of hospital.
“Next year, Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance will be 25 years old. In order to reach all the patients that need our care, to increase the hours per day that we are available, we need to increase the resilience of our aviation capability by having a second aircraft and build an operation base which is fit for 24-hour operations.
“With thanks to the wonderful generosity of the public to our cause, we’ve started to put plans in place by securing a delivery slot from the helicopter manufacturer and having an initial design scheme for an operational base upgrade.
“Our birthday next year brings the challenging gift of ensuring that we have the funds to complete these enhancements to our service and to cover the operational costs that continue to rise. But it also brings the opportunity to reach and provide life-saving care to patients in their hour of great need and that opportunity is huge motivation enough.”
More information about supporting Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance can be found by visiting: www.dsairambulance.org.uk.
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