Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is asking the public to support this year’s Air Ambulance Week which takes place between Monday 9th - Sunday 15th September.

During the week, the charity has a number of awareness and engagement activities planned but is also hoping that the community will organise their own events in aid of the charity, sign up for their weekly lottery (£5 per month), make a one-off donation of £10 or pledge a regular donation in support of their critical work.

Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance is a local, life-saving charity, funded by you. Their team of doctors and specialist practitioners bring the hospital to critically ill or injured patients when it is needed the most. Their enhanced skills, specialist equipment and drugs that they carry, along with the speed of their response, is often the difference between life and death.

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.

To donate £10 today visit: www.dsairambulance.org.uk/donate or call: 01823 669604

To join the Flight for Life Lottery: www.dsairambulance.org.uk/join-our-lottery

Become a regular donor: www.dsairambulance.org.uk/regular-donation

If you are thinking of holding an event, a yummy way to get involved is by holding a ‘Brew for the Crew’ event in your home, within the community, in your workplace or at school. This initiative is proving ever popular as anyone can get involved, by getting together for a catchup, with a good old cup of brew and some lovely treats. It’s free to sign up and by doing so, you’ll get everything you need to promote your event and make it a success, as the charity has created a number of downloadable resources to help. This includes access to a fundraising pack full of tips and ideas and resources such as template posters and invitations and other materials such as cake recipe cards, cake toppers and bunting!

Sign up for Brew for the Crew: www.dsairambulance.org.uk/signup-bftc

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. Is that a time to look back and celebrate what has been achieved? Perhaps, but even more importantly to look forwards. 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 thus far, we’ve started 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.

“Throughout Air Ambulance Week, you can make a difference; each act of kindness today, becomes hope for tomorrow. Your support is vital in enabling us to reach every patient that needs us, so on behalf of them, thank you.”

More information on Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance can be found by visiting: www.dsairambulance.org.uk