Red Arrows Trust Donates £3,000 to Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance

The Red Arrows Trust has donated £3,000 to Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance (LNAA), as part of their annual gifting to local charities.

Crew members of LNAA, together with representatives of other emergency charities were invited to a special presentation on Friday 8 July at RAF Scampton where the Red Arrows are currently based. They witnessed a superb display by the Red Arrows Team as they practised their latest manoeuvres in the air. The iconic yellow LNAA helicopter also made a guest appearance before being called away on a shout to an incident in South Yorkshire.

Wing Commander David Montenegro OBE MA, Officer Commanding of the Red Arrows said: “How amazing that a charity we support went out on a shout whilst we are training. It is an honour to see their work in action, knowing that the funds we have given will contribute to the great work that they do.”

The LNAA is one of the UK’s leading Helicopter Emergency Service (HEMS) Charities, funded purely by generous donations.

The enhanced level of pre-hospital critical care delivered to patients at the scene, gives people with the most severe injuries and medical conditions the very best chance of survival when minutes matter. And with the crews are on call 24 hours of the day, 365 days of the year, the highly skilled doctors, paramedics and pilots are there to help people across Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire, involved in life-threatening incidents every single day.

The charity has just witnessed its busiest June on record, responding to a total of 172 call-outs. Together with rising costs, especially in the cost of fuel, it means the amount needed to keep this life-saving charity operational for this year is now set to top £8 million.

The Red Arrows Trust gains an income from royalties associated with sales of approved Red Arrows memorabilia and then distributes it to worthy causes twice a year. Their donation to LNAA will fund the cost of winter tyres for the two Critical Care Cars which operate in Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire and also the purchase of blizzard blankets and warming blankets for patients’ use.

Each year the Critical Care Cars are called to tasks in all weather conditions and the tyres are essential bits of kit. Blankets are important for the comfort and safety of patients, especially in the winter months. Blizzard blankets work as an effective tool in the prevention and treatment of hypothermia.

Due to the nature of the tasks LNAA is called to, the blankets are left with the patient once they have been transferred to a major trauma centre or hospital. Whilst some are returned, this is extremely rare and stock needs to be replenished on a regular basis.

Captain Llewis Ingamells, Unit Chief Pilot for LNAA gratefully received the donation. He said: We appreciate the special relationship that the LNAA has with the Red Arrows. We have participated in military training exercises and attended incidents in support of our military community and we look forward to an even closer working relationship when the Red Arrows become stationed at RAF Waddington opposite our base in October.