A big thank you from all the staff & crew of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance

Thank you Spencer's Social Club!

Mr Miller of Spencer's Social Club in Melksham organised  a Charity Fund Raising Dance back in February of this year, with all of the proceeds being donated to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.
They were all absolutely delighted to be able to present our Paramedic Andy Newman with  a cheque in the amount of £524.50p, at a recent presentation evening at the Club.

Everyone at the Appeal would like to extend their sincere thanks to Bill and his team for organising such a successful event.   Your support is very much appreciated!

From left to right:
Sue Armstrong (steward); Lynton Armstrong (steward); Tony Webb (Chairman);  Paramedic Andy Newman; Ray Edwards (Secretary); Bill Miller (Organiser)

Thank You Bear Morning Regulars!

The Bear Morning Regulars meet at the Bear Hotel, Devizes, on a regular basis and organise and participate in many activities in the Devizes Community.

At their 2009 Christmas Luncheon the members kindly nominated the Wiltshire Air Ambulance as their beneficiary charity.  A sumptuous luncheon was served by the wonderful staff at the Bear Hotel, and a good time was certainly had by all when they participated in a general knowledge quiz, raffle, and carol singing competition.  During lunch everyone donated in sealed envelopes to the Appeal and they managed to raise an incredible £531!

A small group of the Bear Morning Regulars recently visited the Wiltshire Air Ambulance and are seen here presenting their donation to our Paramedic Andy Newman.

Everyone at the Appeal would like to say a BIG thank you to all members of the BMR for their continued support and generosity!

From left to right:  Jim Moger (Chairman), Jane Burton (ex Mayor of Devizes), Paul Ashdown (Bear Hotel Bar Manager), Paramedic Andy Newman, Gordon Straker (Bear Hotel Owner) and Rita Dundas.

Thank you Screaming Eagles Living History Group!

This is the cheque presentation with Paramedic Steve Riddle on 28th February 2010, at which the Screaming Eagles kindly donated £770 to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

With him are a small group of the Screaming Eagles Living History Group. A total of 55 re-enactors aged from 11 to 70 years did a 6 mile march which followed a route taken by the Band of Brothers back in 1943/44 from their Billets in Aldbourne to their HQ at Littlecote House. All the re-enactors were dressed in full 101st Airborne uniform which included equipment and weapons.

Along the route they collected donations from supporters to try and raise as much money as possible for the WAAA and Help for Heroes.

Everyone at the Appeal would like to say thank you to everyone who participated and kindly donated towards these two very worthwhile causes.  We do hope that the march planned for this year is as successful as the last!

Thank you Southgate Inn!

The Southgate Inn in Devizes organises regular Quiz Nights for its regulars and raises money for local charities.

This year it's the turn of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal to be a beneficiary of their support, and we were delighted to receive a donation in the amount of £430.00 at a recent presentation at the pub.

Our Paramedic Jo Munday went along to meet some of the staff and quiz 'players.'

Everyone at the WAAA would like to say a big thank you to all the players and supporters of the Quiz, and especially to Charlie and Michelle for their on-going support. 

In the photo and left to right are;

Di Wootton, Julie Armitage, Rachel Newman, Michelle Moss (Landlady), Charlie Moss (Landlord)), Chris Downham (Quiz Master), Gavin Moss, Paramedic Jo Munday, Niall Cruz, Martin Armitage, and James Baxter.

Thank you Friends of Pinewood!

Pinewood is set in eighty-four acres situated in the pretty village of Bourton, it offers a unique family based co-educational environment for children aged three to thirteen.

The Friends of Pinewood are a group of parents and staff who organise fundraising events for pupils, parents and the extended Pinewood community.  As well as raising money for the school and local charities, the events we hold bring people together in a fun, relaxed and social environment.  Each year we hold 4 key events:- Bonfire Night, Christmas Fair, Quiz Night and the Summer Evening.  A percentage of the money raised from these events is allocated to our chosen charity, this year we are pleased to be supporting the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

Paramedic Andy Newman went along to Pinewood School to meet the pupils and teachers, and is seen here receiving the £2,000 donation from some of the Friends of Pinewood.

We would like to say a very BIG thank you to everyone at Pinewood for their fantastic support!

Thank You Eleanor Townsend!

On August 7th 2006, Olly Tuckwell suffered very serious injuries when a vehicle drove into the path of his motorcycle at Lydeway, near Devizes. He was flown by the Wiltshire Air Ambulance to the Royal United Hospital in Bath.

Here his injuries were found to be so severe that he was immediately transferred to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol. Later Olly was transferred to Bristol Royal Infirmary and then to the Royal National Hospital for Rheumatic Diseases in Bath. He was finally discharged, after more than six months, on February 18th 2007 and continued to receive treatment as an out-patient for many more months.

While Olly was still unconscious, his friend Eleanor Henley, now Townsend, promised him that if he survived she would run a half-marathon to raise funds for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance. She later decided that a sponsored cycle to the hospitals that helped Olly would have more meaning.

Having now completed three sponsored cycles in aid of the air ambulance since 2007, Eleanor, Olly, and Luke Townesend have managed to raise a total of £4,589.23p for the Appeal, and they are currently underway with plans for their fourth in 2010 www.ollys.org.uk

The presentation for the 2009 donation was made at the Air Ambulance Headquarters on Wednesday February 24th 2010. Eleanor had managed to raise a total of £864.23p and a cheque for this amount was handed to two of the paramedics on the Air Ambulance, one of whom was Jo Munday who had rescued Olly, and other being Steve Riddle.

Thank You staff of DSTL Porton Down!

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory at Porton Down kindly support the Wiltshire Air Ambulance every year during one of their staff charity days.  Everyone gets involved and some staff even volunteered to abseil down the side of their building, all in aid of the Air Ambulance.

They managed to raise a WHOPPING £9,677.10p as a result of all their efforts.

Thank you once again to the Johnson Family!

Every year the Johnson's organise their Christmas Lights exhibit in Trowbridge.  It is a spectacular display of lights which can be seen from the helicopter from miles away, when they are flying in the skies of Trowbridge at night.

This year they managed to raise an incredible £439.75p, £134 of which came from a donation at the Unitarian Meeting House Church, on Seymour Road in Trowbridge.

Everyone at the Appeal would like to say a huge thank you to the Johnson's for all of their efforts on behalf of the Appeal, year in, year out.  We would also like to thank the Unitarian Meeting House Church for their kind donation.

Thank you Highworth & District Lions Club!

The Lions Charity Shop in Highworth have been raising money for worthwhile causes for many years, and have supported the WAAA year after year.

This year they donated £1,000 to the Appeal, which brings their total raised to a whopping £10,000!

They kindly visited the Air Operations Unit in Devizes and presented their donation to Paramedic Andy Newman.

Everyone at the Unit would like to say a BIG thank you to the Highworth & District Lions Club for their continued support.  Without you we would be grounded!

Left to Right: Sheila Stobbart (volunteer in Lions Charity Shop - Highworth), Paramedic Andy Newman, Rosemary Jackson (President), and Rod Davis (Treasurer).

Thank You Warminster Townswomen's Guild!

The ladies from the Warminster Townswomen's Guild were delighted to be able to present the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal with a donation of £225.00p raised at their coffee mornings and various event raffles.

Every year the Guild nominate two charities to support, and since 1993 they've managed to raise a whopping £6,598 for local charities.

The Guild was established in 1971 and has 47 members.  In recent years they have donated £1,575 to the WAAA, for which we are very grateful indeed.  Sadly this year the Guild has decided to disband so this will be the final donation that the Appeal will be receiving from the Guild. 

Treasurer Hazel Waplington and Secretary Nancy Green are seen here presenting us with their final donation.

Everyone at the Appeal would like to thank ALL of the members over the years for all of their support.  We would like to wish you the very best in the future and do hope that our paths will cross again.

Thank You Waitrose in Bath!

The staff and customers of Waitrose in Bath came out in force to support the Wiltshire Air Ambulance, having nominated us as the lucky recipient of their December 09 Community Matters Scheme.

Every month customers vote for their favourite charities who in turn receive a portion of £1000 donated by Waitrose, in all their stores throughout the country.  The WAAA was fortunate enough to have received a donation amounting to £470.00p, and some of the members of staff are seen here presenting the cheque.

Everyone at the Appeal would like to thank Waitrose in Bath for their continuous support, and we'd also like to thank all of the loyal customers who supported our charity.

Thank You Rushall Primary School!

The staff and pupils from Rushall Primary School managed to raise an incredible £351.00 for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal, and are all seen here presenting the donation to Paramedic Jo Munday and Pilot George Lawrence.

Everyone at the Appeal would like to say a BIG thank-you to everyone at Rushall primary School for helping us to keep flying!

Photograph: (From left to right) Jill Young, Supervisor at Whitehall Garden Centre, Nuala Townsend, Gift Shop Manager, Shaun Russell, Paramedic for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance and Mary Tryner, Assistant Manager of the garden centre.

Garden centre raises more than £1,680 for charity

KIND-HEARTED customers at a Wiltshire garden centre have helped raise more than £1,680 for two charities in the county.

The team at Whitehall Garden Centre in Lacock near Chippenham recently presented a cheque for £710.08 to Dorothy House Hospice Care and a cheque for £976.59 to Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

Christopher Self, Director of the garden centre, said: "We are delighted to have helped raise such a fantastic amount of cash for both of the charities.

"Children were invited to visit Father Christmas and his reindeer during the festive period and we set up a wishing well at the entrance to Santa's grotto so that visitors could make a donation to the charities.

"All of the families who came to see Santa really enjoyed themselves and at the same time they helped raise money for two very worthy causes, so we would like to say a big 'thank you' to them."

Dorothy House Hospice Care is based in Bradford on Avon and supports 1,500 families affected by cancer, motor neurone disease and other life-threatening conditions every year.

Most of the charity's care is provided in people's own homes. Short-term care, out-patient and day-patient services are provided at Dorothy House Hospice in Winsley, near Bath.

Emily Knight, Community Fundraiser for Dorothy House Hospice Care, said: "We are very grateful to the staff and customers at Whitehall Garden Centre for raising such a fantastic amount of money.

"This year, after NHS funding, more than £3 million must be raised to continue to provide Dorothy House Hospice Care's services at the current level. The charity depends on the generosity of local people to continue its great work."

The Wiltshire Air Ambulance is one of only two air ambulances in the country that works as a joint project with the police.

The Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal is entirely dependent upon public support to raise the £500,000 a year needed to provide the service. This is only a third of the running costs of the helicopter. The remaining two thirds are funded by the police who use the aircraft for various incidents.

Melanie Gee for Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal, said: "The Wiltshire Air Ambulance is not government funded and does not qualify for National Lottery Funding.

"It is thanks to the goodwill of people like the staff and customers at Whitehall Garden Centre that the helicopter is able to continue flying."

Courtesy of Porcupine PR Ltd

Thank you to everyone at Alcatel-Lucent!

Warren Gleeson and Doug Bradshaw have been running the staff tuck shop at the Quadrant Building for the last two years. Operating on low margins it is supplemented by occasional raffles and lotto events. Over the last 12 months it has raised £1900 which includes a £500 pound donation from Alcatel-Lucent's Society Matters Group run by a number of staff volunteers.

Both Warren and Doug wanted to visit the Unit to present their donation to one of our Crew members, and are seen here with our Paramedic Shaun Russell.

Once again, everyone at the Appeal would like to thank Warren and Doug for all of their efforts, as well as all the staff that so kindly supported them.  We would also like to thank the Society Matters Group for their generosity also.

Frome Left to Right: Doug Bradshaw, Lisa Riley, Paramedic Shaun Russell, and Warren Gleeson.

Thanks again Chippenham Lions!

'Lions Top Up' - Chippenham Lion President, Byron Hughes, presents a cheque for £1000 to Paramedic Shaun Russell. This follows their generous donation of £2000 last year. The club has raised over £15,000 since July 2009, and donated £10,626 to very worthwhile causes.

Thank you to Invensys Rail!

Our Paramedic Steve Riddle went along to the offices of Invensys Rail in Chippenham (previously known as Westinghouse Rail Systems) to receive a donation in the amount of £468.75p, from Derek Boulton, Invensys Rail OSHE Manager.

Invensys Rail managed to raise this amount as a result of the online database which receives reports of hazards.  Every hazard reported raises £2.50 for charity and this year the donations have been split between the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal and Dorothy House.

We would like to say a big thank you to Invensys for their continued support.

A BIG Thank you to the residents of Maple Grove!

The residents of Maple Grove in Trowbridge decided to hold a Christmas Draw for the residents and raise money for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

They managed to raise an incredible £211.50p as a result and all got together to present the donation to our Paramedic Steve Riddle.

Thank you The Trenchard Lines DETS (A)

The Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal would like to say a BIG thank you to all the staff at DETS(A) Trenchard Lines, Upavon, for raising £184.00p as a result of their staff Christmas Raffle.

Victoria and Janet paid the crew at the Unit a visit and presented Paramedic Andy Newman with the donation.

Our thanks go to everyone that participated and contributed.

From left to right:   Victoria Hatcher, Paramedic Andy Newman, and Janet Carpenter

Thank You Marlborough Artists Society!

The members of the Marlborough Artists Society held their annual exhibition back in September 2009 and nominated the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal as their beneficiary charity.  They managed to raise £200 on the day, and Annie Monk was able to present the donation cheque to Appeal Fund Raiser Melanie Gee at their recent annual assessment.

At the annual assessment the committee members meet to nominate local artists to participate in the annual exhibition and review an assortment of work, ranging from oil painting, water colours, charcoal sketches, and soap stone statues.  

The Appeal would like to thank everyone at the Marlborough Artists Society, and everyone that attended the exhibition.  We really do appreciate the support and hope that this years exhibition is as successful as last years, if not more so.

MAS Committee: Annie Monk, Derek Bramwell, Jane Fox, Jane Baikie, Kate Pier, Sylvie Claydon and Sue Cooper

SPAM Biking Club ride, yet again, for Charity!

A handful of SPAM members paid a visit to the Air Operations Unit to present yet another donation from the club.  As many will already know the profits from their off-road mountain bike events held on Salisbury Plain are donated every year to charities nominated by the members.  The Wiltshire Air Ambulance, being close to the hearts of so many people locally (especially those that take part in sports in remote areas), was nominated again this year.

SPAM Biking Club have recently donated almost £4000 to various charities, with more being raised at the recent Winter Challenge event, £1000 of which was donated to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.  Police Observer Kevin Reed kindly met members of the club and gave them a tour of the helicopter.   Kevin emphasised how important such donations are in keeping the service operational. 

SPAM members extended their thanks to Kevin for his time, the tour and information he gave us, and his patience with the children in the group who wanted to sit in every seat possible in the helicopter itself!

The Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal would like to thank all the mountain bike riders that take part in the events for their continued support and make these donations to such important charities possible.

BMW Group in the UK has chosen the Air Ambulance to be its 2009/2010 charity of the year!

A donation has been made from the central BMW group UK charity fund, split equally among the four regional trusts located in areas that BMW has its main business operations in the UK.  Swindon Plant, being in Wiltshire, decided to nominate the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal as their beneficiary.

In order to support the Appeals fund raising efforts Kimberley Ragousis, Communications Manager for MINI Plant Swindon, contacted the Appeal to ask how they could help.  Having been made aware that the Appeal needed funds to assist with the purchase of the new TETRA Digital Radio System, that was installed on the helicopter in December, at a cost of £54,000, Kimberley and the team set about their fund raising efforts.

Melanie Gee, Appeal Fund Raiser, went along to BMW MINI Plant in Swindon to receive the donation from Phil Alden, Technology Manager Sub Assembly.

Everyone at the Appeal would like to extend their sincere thanks to BMW Group for their incredible support and we look forward to working with them in the future.

A BIG Thank You to everyone at Pole-da-Cise!

The Instructors and club members from Pole-da-Cise, a Melksham based Pole Fitness School, organised various fund raising events and cabarets in 2009 to offer support to the WAAA. 

Their main cabaret event, organised by Lisa, Shelly and Tracey, all instructors at the school, was held at Westbury Country Park just before Christmas on December 5th. The event was a huge success and managed to raise a staggering £!,982.52p for the charity!  Our ladies from the Westbury Charity Shop were all invited to attend, along with some of our volunteers, and were delighted by the girls wonderful displays of dance and exercise utilising the dancers pole.  The night was outstanding with over 20 acts performing, including one with a live snake.  Superb entertainment was on offer, as well as hot food provided by Westbury Country Park, and an amazing range of donated raffle prizes.

A small group of the Pole-da-Cise club decided to pay the Air Operations Unit in Devizes a visit and are seen here presenting their donation to our Paramedic Shaun Russell.

Everyone at the Appeal would like to say a BIG thank you to everyone at the school for all of their efforts on behalf of the WAAA.  We are always grateful for the support that is shown throughout the community, without which, we would not be operating.

A BIG thank you to Planks Farm Shop!

Planks Farm Shop in Devizes held a Christmas Carol evening with Father Christmas on December 17th, with proceeds being donated to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal and the Devizes Musical Theatre Group. 

The Devizes Musical Theatre Group were singing carols outside, braving freezing cold conditions, and Father Christmas (aka Cookie the Clown) was in his grotto handing out Christmas presents to the children.  There was complimentary mulled wine, mince pies, cheese and biscuits, sausages, and lovely chocolates made by 'Zoe.'

Our Paramedic Jo Munday went along to join in all the festivities and meet Father Christmas, whom she is seen with here, as well as Nick Plank from Planks Farm Shop.

On the night they managed to raise £59.71p for the Appeal, in addition to selling our Christmas cards for us this year to help raise funds for the Appeal. A donation was also made to the Devizes Musical Theatre Group.

Everyone at the WAAA would like to thank Planks Farm Shop for their continued support, and to all of their customers who have generously donated and supported us over the years.

Thank you to everyone at Rowley Place in Melksham!

The residents of Rowley Place in Melksham decided to hold a table top sale and raffle earlier in the year, in aid of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

On the day everyone gave very generously and managed to raise a total of £615.00p!

Paramedic Steve Riddle went over to Rowley Place to receive the donation from some of the residents and is seen here with residents Margaret Bundy (sitting), and Denise Bishop. 

Everyone at the Appeal would like to thank all of the residents for their support, and continuing to raise funds to keep the helicopter in the skies of Wiltshire.

Thanks to all at the Bruce Arms!

Every year Jackie Butler (Owner) organises a fund raising event at the Bruce Arms in Easton Royal, all in aid of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

This year's Charity Auction proved to be a huge success and raised an incredible £893.00p.  They also had a table top sale on the night which raised an additional £75, as well as their giant bottle on the bar which managed to collect £288!

Our Paramedic Steve Riddle popped into the Bruce Arms to thank everyone for their support, and is seen here with some of the staff and customers who kindly donated.

Everyone at the Appeal would like to thank Jackie and the customers of the Bruce Arms for their continued support throughout the years!

A BIG thank-you to Will, Alex & Curtis!

Will Cooper and his friends Alex and Curtis Bailey decided to organise a sponsored cycle ride across Salisbury Plain back in October, to try and raise money for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

They managed to raise an incredible £254.40p and are all seen here at the Air Operations Unit in Devizes presenting their donation cheque to Paramedic Steve Riddle.

Earlier in the year Will had also completed a walk across Salisbury Plain, and raised an additional £160 for the Appeal.

We would all like to say thank you to Will, Alex and Curtis for their fantastic achievements, and for their incredible support.  We would also like to thanks those that supported the lads and so kindly donated.

Thank you Devizes Lions Club!

Devizes Lions Club recently donated 100 trauma teddies to Devizes Ambulance crews and the Wiltshire Air Ambulance, which are used by the crews to help calm younger children while they are being treated and transported to hospital.

At the presentation were: Paramedic Robert Postlethwaite (Devizes), Paramedic Neil Crawford (Devizes), CTL Richard Miller (WAA), Paramedic Andy Newman (WAA), Lions President Roger Mapp, and Lion Mike Fitzpatrick.

The Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal would like to thank the Devizes Lions for their continued support.

Thank you once again to Louise Neal!

Louise Neal, once again, organised one of her her annual charity events and this time it was a Halloween Charity Ball at the Corsham Club, all in aid of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.  She managed to raise an incredible £645, and is seen here presenting her donation to Paramedic Steve Riddle, along with her Dad Stephen.

Back in March 2000, Louise was out walking one of her horses when it became excited by another horse in a field.  The horse bolted and knocked Louise to the ground, landing its hind foot on her head.  The impact fractured her skull which temporarily paralysed Louise down the right side of her body.  Luckily the horse didn't have shoes on her hind feet or it could have been an awful lot worse.  The Wiltshire Air Ambulance was called and immediately flew Louise to RUH in Bath due to the nature of her injuries.  Louise was then referred to Frenchay in Bristol, where she underwent surgery to remove the splinted bone in her skull and had 2 metal plates fitted.

After quite a few months convalescing Louise fully recovered and has supported the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal ever since.  Louise recently said, 'If it wasn't for the helicopter getting me to hospital so quickly, I wouldn't be here today!  I am extremely grateful to them all.  The Air Ambulance is a fantastic service and its crew are just amazing.'

Everyone at the WAAA would like to thank Louise for all of her support over the years, and to all those that attend Louise's events and so generously donate!

Thank you to the South Western Hotel in Tisbury!

Debbie Lea, of the South Western Hotel in Tisbury, organised her annual Summer Charity Ball and managed to raise an incredible £2,550 all in aid of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

The Ball was well attended by the residents of Tisbury and the band even decided to donate their fee to charity.

Our Paramedic, Jo Munday, went along to the South Western Hotel  to meet Debbie and the staff, and to receive the donation. Jo is seen here with AG Bell, whom we airlifted following a road traffic accident on October 19th.  He was in intensive care at Salisbury Hospital before being moved to John Radcliffe for some complicated repairs to his very fractured pelvis.  AG has made a fantastic recovery and thanked Jo for the speed at which he was able to get to hospital for the vital life saving treatment.

Everyone at the Appeal would like to thank Debbie and the staff at the South Western Hotel, as well as all those that attended the event and gave so generously!

Thank you Jean and Bremhill View Social Club!

Jean Smith, of Calne, organised an Irish Night at the Bremhill View Social Club in Calne, all in aid of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.  It was the wish of one of Jean's dear friends who sadly passed away, that an annual Irish Night be organised for charity.

And, the 'Irish' turned out in force to remember their friend and managed to raise £560.00p in the process!  
Jean and her husband Clem, visited the Air Operations Unit to present the donation to Paramedic Jo Munday. Also attending were Peter and Sandra Sandal, and Les Nobel.

The Appeal would like to say a BIG thank you to all of the organisers of the Irish Night and those that attended the event to support the WAAA!

Thank you Melksham Quiz!

Jill Gibbons organises the Melksham Quiz every year and raises money for charity.  This year was the turn of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal and we were the lucky recipients of a donation amounting to £475!

Jill visited the Air Operations Unit recently, along with her two grand children Nathan and Tyler, to present the donation to our Paramedic Jo Munday. Sadly, 10 minutes before they arrived the helicopter was called away to an emergency and Nathan and Tyler were unable to see the Air Ambulance.  We do hope that they will come back and visit us again soon.

Everyone at the Appeal would like to thank Jill for all of her efforts in raising such an incredible amount, and to all the supporters of the Melksham Quiz for their donations.

Thank you to everyone at Kington Langley!

Julia Timbrell and a few of her neighbours from Kington Langley village decided to organise a fun progressive supper and hopefully raise some money for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal in the process.

They were all shocked by how successful the event was and how many people in the village turned out to support them.

They managed to raise an incredible £278.00p and are seen here presenting their donation the Paramedic Bruce Jarvis.

The Appeal would like to thank everyone for their fantastic support, especially Julia for all of her efforts.  Let's hope that this can become an annual event!

Attending - Julia Timbrell, Silvia Townsend, Sue Sunderland, and Anne Horton.

Congratulations Mr & Mrs Watts!

Mr & Mrs Watts recently popped into the Air Operations Unit at Devizes with a donation of £565.00p, which they managed to raise at their recent Golden Wedding Anniversary celebration.  They asked that their friends and family donate to the Appeal rather than give them gifts, and what generous support they received.

Thank you to everyone for their kind contributions to the WAAA and our congratulations go to Mr & Mrs Watts for celebrating 50 years together!

Thank You Matravers School!

Every year the Matravers School in Westbury, organise a 10 mile sponsored walk. 

In 2008 the walk, completed by the students and teachers, managed to raised an incredible £2,000 and the student council decided to nominate the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal as the beneficiary.

Paramedic Bruce Jarvis, went along to the School and is seen here receiving the donation from all of the pupils during their school assembly.

Everyone at the Appeal would like to thank the students for their continued support and wish them every success at all future sponsored walks.

Thanks again to the Foxtrot Run!

Gary Jardine and his daughter Kim Tuck from the Foxtrot Run, are seen here presenting a donation of £544.13p to Paramedic, Andy Newman.

For 6 years now Gary has been organising the Foxtrot Run, which is held in Melksham, all in aid of local charities.  This year was another huge success which managed to raise in excess of £1500.

Thank you Gary for your continued support, it is very much appreciated by everyone here at the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.  Our thanks also go to all the runners who compete year in year out.

Thank You Milton Lilbourne!

Mr Deadman of Milton Lilbourne in Pewsey, organised a village event back in June of this year and managed to raise a staggering £1700 for charity.

The village turned out in force to support the event and even Mr Deadman couldn't believe how successful the fundraising had been.  They collectively decided to donate £1005 to the Appeal, with £700 being given to the local village fund.  A very generous local resident also decided to donate a further £500 to the WAAA, resulting in the total donation amounting to £1505!

Our Paramedic Shaun Russell is seen here receiving the donation from Mr Deadman.
Also in attendance:  Mr & Mrs Williamson, Mr & Mrs Murfit, Mrs Maneer, Mrs Hicks, Mrs Bunion, and Mrs Mayhew.

Our sincere thanks go to all the villagers of Milton Lilbourne for their incredible support.

Thank you Urchfont Scarecrows!

Keith Brockie, and his fellow Scarecrows, paid a visit to the Air Operations Unit recently and donated an incredible £3,000 to the Appeal.

Every year Urchfont hosts the largest Scarecrow Festival in Wiltshire and this year's event, which took place over May Day bank holiday weekend, saw over 10,000 people converge on the village outside Devizes.

Volunteers manned the barbecue, beer tent, tea tent and registration centre by the Pond, while others were on duty at the flower festival in St Michael's Church and the art exhibition in the village hall.  This years event broke all previous records and raised nearly £25,000!  After all expenses were paid, and donations were made to various village causes, the remaining £3,000 was donated to the WAAA.
Festival chairman Keith Brockie was delighted by the turnout. He said: "It just keeps getting bigger year by year. The weather was very good to us on Saturday and Sunday and even on Monday, when it was a bit colder, people kept turning up."
Everyone at the WAAA wants to extend a huge thank you to Keith and the army of volunteers who help organise the annual event.  We are truly thankful to everyone for all the hard work that goes into organising events of this size, and for the supporters who attend them.  Thank You!
Paramedic, Andy Newman, is seen here with the Urchfont Scarecrows.
In the picture: Keith Brockie (Festival Chairman), Elaine Bancroft, Alistair Everett, Sam Everett, Tony Giddings, Sue Giddings (Treasurer), Julie Ingles, Claire Harding, Richard Hawkins (Chairman), Sarah Minty (Secretary), Robert Pendry, Ross Pendry and June Turnbull.

Thank you to Mr & Mrs Lewis!

Mr & Mrs Lewis of Devizes recently celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary, and rather than receive gifts they asked that all their friends make donations to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.  They managed to raise an incredible £300, and are both seen here donating the money to our Paramedic, Andy Newman.

Our congratulations go to Mr & Mrs Lewis, and a big thank you goes to all of their kind friends and family who helped them celebrate such a remarkable occasion.

Thank You Bristol Pegasus Motor Club

In May 2008 motorsport enthusiast Kieron Winter, the Chairman of the Bristol Pegasus Motor Club,  collapsed while marshalling at a Club event at Colerne Airfield. Although he was tended to by the Wiltshire Air Ambulance team who treated and transported him to hospital, he tragically succumbed to a heart attack. Kieron's parents Mike & Mary Winter generously gave his motorsport book collection to the Motor Club to use to raise funds for their supported charity which, for 2009, is the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

From this the Club has raised £3,600, which was recently presented to WAAA representative Melanie Gee at the Pegasus Sprint at Castle Combe race track, an event which Kieron had successfully organised for 14 years.

The Bristol Pegasus Motor Club has nominated the WAAA as their beneficiary charity for 2009/10 and is organising a Karting Event in December to raise money for the Appeal.

Our sincere thanks go out to everyone for their incredible support.  We are truly appreciative of everyone's efforts, especially Pete Stowe, for all of his efforts selling the motorsport book collection.

Thank you to the Longs Arms Quizzers

The Longs Arms holds a weekly quiz night and nominates a local charity as the beneficiary of the quiz proceeds.  This week the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal was the lucky recipient of an incredible £235 raised by the Longs Arms Quizzers.

Paramedic Steve Riddell is seen here with landlady Jacqui Prior, who is presenting the donation.

The WAAA would like to extend their sincere thanks to all the Quizzers for their generosity.

Thank you to Gate Farm Livery!

The sunshine at the weekend saw the children at Gate Farm Livery compete against each other in aid of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance, who kindly attended the event to except a cheque for £200, with a further £100 from Mr Tony Crew, owner of the farm. 

Sponsors included B &W Equine Group Ltd in Tetbury, Azuza cafe & nightclub in Marlborough, Pet Care In St.Paul's Street, Chippenham. 

Rosettes & Medals to 6th place: Walk & Trot - 1st Jade Blackburn; 2ndElla Walters; 3rd Emma Jones
Beginner canter test: 1st Jade Blackburn; 2nd Shananne Lockyer; 3rd Emma Jones

A big thank you went out to all the helpers on the day, and parents and family for coming and supporting the children.

Photos by Jo Rees 

Congratulations to John & Sandra Phillips!

John and Sandra Phillips both retired recently and decided to have a 'small' party for 200 of their close family and friends at the Melksham Assembly Halls. They were once again raising money for charity, and the Wiltshire Air Ambulance was one of their beneficiary charities.  On the night a whopping £969.11p was donated, and everyone had a wonderful time, dancing the night away to the fantastic Zig Zag Band

John and Sandra's daughter, Michelle, very sadly died in a car accident back in 2004. They have ever since been dedicated to raising money for various charities, and over the years they have managed to raise an incredible £13,227.36p for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

The Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal is truly appreciative of all the voluntary work and fund raising that John and Sandra do for all of their charities. They are two wonderful people and we wish them both a peaceful and relaxing retirement.

From Left to Right:  Dave and Joyce Rees, Sandra Phillips, Paramedic Andy Newman, John Phillips, and Jean and Stan Russell.

Thank You to the Lodge of Concorde!

The Lodge of Concorde in Trowbridge set about raising funds for local charities in 2009, never expecting that they would do as well as they did.  The total raised throughout the year was an incredible £7,000, which has been distributed amongst their nominated local charities.

Derek Tadman, Worshipful Master for 2009, is seen here presenting the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal with a donation of £500, along with Roger Karn (Junior Warden) and Peter Cook (Charity Steward).

Paramedic Andy Newman accepted the donation on behalf of the Appeal and thanked everyone for their continued support.

Many thanks to Mark Webb and the villagers of West Kington!

Mark Webb from West Kington Wick, decided to organise a village garden day at St Mary the Virgin, in West Kington, all in aid of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.  He also entered a sponsored bike ride, and as a result of both events, manage to raise  £1000 for the Appeal.

Tim and Daphne Smith helped Mark with the organising of the village garden day, and all three are seen here presenting their donation to Paramedic Andy Newman.

We are all very grateful for your support.  Our thanks also go to all of the villagers who attended this event and managed to raise an incredible amount of money for the Appeal.  Thank you!

Thank you to Five Lanes Farm Farmers!

Roy Chandler and his fellow farmers from Five Lanes Farm in Potterne, recently organised a charity clay pigeon shoot on behalf of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

It was very well supported by many top shooters as well as people who just came to have a go, there was even a family picnicking under one of the old oaks.  The weather was fantastic and because of this support they managed to raise £910 for the WAA.

The farmers are seen here presenting their donation to Paramedic Jo Munday.

We would all like to say a big thank you everyone for supporting and organising this event.  Without your support we wouldn't be able to continue doing what we do.

A BIG thank you to everyone at Longleat!

Paramedics Andy Newman and Richard Miller visited Longleat Last Friday, and met with Lord Bath to say a BIG thank you for the donations received from the Butterfly House wishing pool.

For the past few years visitors to Longleat Butterfly House have been generously supporting the Wiltshire Air Ambulance by throwing their loose change into the pool. The total raised since 2007 amounts £7,500, with £1466 raised this year alone.

Derek Longuet was the man in charge of the Butterfly House for many years. He is now semi-retired, but was responsible for digging all of money out of the pond for us by hand.  In 2007, there was so much change that we needed to rent a cement mixer to clean all of the money before we could count it.  It was well worth it however, as that year managed to raise over £4,000!

Everyone at the Wiltshire Air Ambulance is extremely grateful to the visitors of Longleat for their generosity, and especially Lord Bath for supporting the Appeal over the years!

Just last week the Wiltshire Air ambulance was called out to an emergency at Longleat.

Many thanks to Response One Group!

Patrick Sargeant, MD, of Response One Group in Bath is seen here donating £587 to our Paramedic Jo Munday.

The donation was raised at recent charitable events organised by a division of Response One Group, called PEACH.

The total raised amounted to £3,000, which has been split between the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal and few of their other beneficiary local charities.

Everyone at the WAAA is most grateful to Response One Group for their support and want to say a big thank you for their most generous donation.

A BIG Thank You to Simon Jacobs and Family!

Simon Jacobs, 45, from Worton, Devizes completed his mammoth bike ride on July 31st, cycling from London to Edinburgh and back to London again. Simon managed to complete the 875 miles in just under 5 days, cycling nearly 200 miles a day, and in the process raised £7,500 for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

On the 26th of July Simon, Shaun Moulton and Dan Farrell, set out on their ride followed by Simon’s wife Lisa, and their children, Amelia, Benjamen and Hannah, in a motor home. It was a gruelling challenge in some extremely unforgiving weather, but Simon proudly completed the ride, despite having a rather sore behind and very achy legs!

The Jacobs family are seen here presenting their donation to Paramedic Steve Riddle, at the Air Operations Unit in Devizes. They are hoping to reach their target of £10,000 before the end of the year as there are still donations coming in.

Everyone at the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal would like to extend a very BIG thank you to Simon and the Jacobs family for their continued support over the years. Congratulations on completing this amazing challenge Simon!

If you would like to read a full report about Simon’s ride then click here.

Bruce Hopkins, from Devizes Fine Kitchens, organised a singing concert in July called ‘Picnic at Patney Park.’ The event was extremely well attended and the weather remained fine, resulting in a most enjoyable event for all.

Bruce and his fellow singers, Helen Derbyshire, and Christie and Gina Strong (twins) are seen here making their donation to Paramedic Richard Miller.

The total raised on the day for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance was an incredible £600, and Lloyds Bank donated a further £500 from their Employee Matching Fund, as Helen works for Lloyds Bank.

An additional amount was also donated to the Patney Church Fabric Fund, who were a beneficiary of funds raised.

We would all like to thank Bruce and the girls, for all of their efforts. We are truly grateful for your continued support!

Andy Britten’s wife, Sheila, is seen here with a number of Andy’s friends presenting Paramedic Bruce Jarvis, Pilot George Lawrence, and Police Observer Adrian Wells with another donation of £2,200. In the 6 years that Sheila and friends have been fund raising for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance they have managed to raise an incredible £12,000!

Sheila writes;

On May 4th 2002 my husband, Andy Britten, passed away from a sudden heart attack. The Wiltshire Air Ambulance was tasked to attend to assist the ground crew, and despite having got him back to Salisbury Hospital as quickly as possible, his heart wasn’t strong enough and he sadly died.

Four of Andy’s closest friends, Kevin Franklin, Stephen Wootton, Alan Ritchie and Neil Stephens decided to have a Memorial Day that year for him and this now takes places on the first Bank Holiday Monday of May every year at Pewsey Vale FC, where Andy was both a player and Manager for the club. Andy was very passionate about football. There tournament is made up of old players, young players, relations, brothers and anyone else who wants a game. The players all pay to play and this, along with donations from local businesses, make up the grand total of funds raised for the day.

Kevin organises the donations, Nobby (Stephen) does the football match along with Kevin, Alan runs the bar and the refreshments, and Stroyer (Neil) arranges the raffle and any other fund raising needs. Their wives, Christine Franklin, Julie Wootton, Barb Ritchie and Lorrie Stephens all help as well and together they make up a good team.

The day is a wonderful fun filled event and is a celebration of Andy’s life. Obviously it can be emotional as it brings back memories for me but the atmosphere of the day says it all.

As I work for the Wiltshire Police in the Control Room, I have used the Air Ambulance on many occasions in the course of my work, so I have now seen both sides of the job, tasking and receiving help from them. This is why I asked the lads if the Wiltshire Air Ambulance could be our main beneficiary charity. They all agreed unanimously.

I hope we never lose this service because I know it saves lives and you never know when you might need their help.

Everyone at the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal would like to say a huge thank you to Sheila and all of Andy’s friends who have consistently supported us over the years. Without support such as yours we would not still be flying in the skies of Wiltshire!

The Wood Family visit the Air Operations Unit

Mr & Mrs Wood wanted to visit the Crew that attended to their son Russell on April 12th of this year. Sadly, Russell was involved in a motorbike accident in Avebury and lost his life as a result.

The family are seen here thanking the two crew members that flew their son to hospital, and presented them with a donation raised at their sons funeral of £1,317.48p. The Pilot was unfortunately not able to attend their visit.

Everyone at the Wiltshire Air Ambulance would like to extend their sincere condolences to the Wood Family for their very sad loss.

In the photo, from left to right: Police Observer Charlie Spedding, Gary Wood, Mr & Mrs Wood, Paramedic Bruce Jarvis, Lisa Smith & Denise and Leon Dennis.

Thank you to the Frank Family!

Andy Frank, of Cricklade, decided to go out for a leisurely ride on his motor bike on June 16th and ended up face down in a deep muddy ditch!  He was travelling along a road in Ashton Keynes when he swerved to avoid a van and lost control of his bike.  The Wiltshire Air Ambulance was called, and having managed to extricate him from the deep ditch, flew him to the Great Western Hospital in Swindon.

Andy, luckily, only suffered a couple of broken ribs and collar bone, and is now well on the road to recovery.

He is seen here with the two air ambulance crew members who attended to him on June 16th.  He and his family not only wanted to thank the crew but also decided to donate £1,000 to the Appeal.

From left to right:  Marilyn Frank, Police Observer Nigel Gilbert, Andy Frank, and Paramedic Bruce Jarvis.  His two daughters are Danielle and Tamira in the front row.

We would all like to say a big thank you to Andy and his family for their very kind donation. We are delighted that Andy is back on the road to recovery!

Thank you St Anthony’s Church in Melksham!

Dame Anne Doyle and St Anthony’s Church in Melksham decided to nominate the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal as their beneficiary charity of the year.

Anne organised a Cream Tea in her garden and managed to raise an incredible £630 for the Appeal!

Anne is seen here presenting the donation, along with some of the members of St Anthony’s, to our Paramedic Shaun Russell.

A big Thank You goes out to everyone who have supported the Appeal and to everyone who enjoyed Anne’s wonderful cream teas!

Thank you to the Freemasons of Wiltshire!

The Freemasons Provincial Grand Lodge of Wiltshire decided to nominate the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal as one of their beneficiary charities this year.

They managed to raise an incredible £4,000 throughout their year of fund raising, and two of their members are seen here presenting the donation to Paramedic Steve Riddle.

From left to right: Paul Connor, Provincial Grand Secretary for the Province of Wiltshire; Paramedic Steve Riddle; Francis Wakeham, Provincial Grand Master for Wiltshire (retired Wiltshire Chief Superintendent).

Everyone at the Appeal would like to thank all the Wiltshire Lodges for their continued support. Without your efforts the helicopter would not still be flying in the skies of Wiltshire. Thank you!

Thank You to Diana Lodge B & B!

Mrs Gibson, from Diana Lodge Bed & Breakfast in Chippenham, decided to organise a Summer Soul and Reggae Party at the West End Club to raise money for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

The event was extremely well attended and they managed to raise an incredible £500 for the Appeal!

The organisers are seen here presenting the donation to Paramedic Steve Riddle. From left to right: Mrs Gibson (organiser), Susan Gough (organiser), Paramedic Steve Riddle, Hazel Barton (raffle organiser), and Robert Giles (compare).

We would like to thank everyone for all of their efforts on behalf of the Appeal, and to all those that supported the event and so generously donated.

Thank you to the Lanfear Family!

Mr Gerald Lanfear and his family are seen here presenting Paramedic Andy Newman with £400, raised that his mothers funeral, Vera Lanfear, who sadly passed away earlier this year.  Rather than receive flowers at the funeral, Vera had requested that people make donations to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

The whole family wanted to visit the Unit to show their support and present us with the donation.

Everyone at the Appeal would like to say a big thank you for your support!

In the picture are:  Gerald Lanfear, Max and Morgan Lanfear, Liz Nash, Paramedic Andy Newman, and Susan & Stephen Fell

Thank you once again to The ‘ Melksham’ Pearlies!

The Melksham Pearlies, Jeanette & Mike Nash, are seen here with our Paramedic Andy Newman, having now donated a grand total of £12,000 to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

This amount has gradually built up over a period of about ten years, with only small amounts being raised at first of £20 and £50. There used to be three couples in the group, as well as Jeanette & Mike. Jean & Jim Knight, and Eve & Sid Lunt all assisted towards the raising of this amount of money.

Jeanette & Mike have been performing as a duo for the last two years and in the last 18 months alone they have been able to give the Wilts Air Ambulance Appeal £3,739.00. They travel far and wide in the name of “The Pearlies” and in 2007 they covered 1,694 miles. In 2008 they covered 2,569 miles! They perform in places as far apart as, Highworth in Swindon, Thornbury in Gloucestershire, Salisbury in Wiltshire and Ilminster in Somerset and everywhere in between.

The Melksham Pearlies will continue to perform as long as people ask them to and they will continue to give their profits to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

Tel: 01225 790661; Email: pearlylady1@btinternet.com ; www.melksham-pearlies.co.uk
Everyone at the WAAA would like to thank Mike and Jeanette for all of their support over the years – and long may it continue!

Congratulations Martha!

Martha Satchell, from Wootton Bassett, celebrated her 90th birthday recently and decided that rather than receive gifts, she would like her friends and family to donate to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

Martha is seen here presenting her donation of £200 to Paramedic Steve Riddle

Many thanks Martha for the donation and belated Happy Birthday wishes come from us all at the Appeal.

Thanks again to Virgin Mobile!

The staff at Virgin Mobile held a fund raising event last Christmas and decided to nominate the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal as the beneficiary charity. Lisa Cogdell-Brown and Linda Farrell organised the event and managed to raise an incredible £1250!

Everyone at the Appeal would like to thank Lisa and Linda for all of their efforts at this event, and many others that they’ve held for us over the years. Your support is very much appreciated. The ladies are seen here presenting the donation to paramedic Andy Newman at their offices in Trowbridge.

From left to right: Lisa Cogdell-Brown, Paramedic Andy Newman, and Linda Farrell.

Thank you to the Jacobs Family for completing such an incredible feat!

Everyone at the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal would like to thank Simon Jacobs and his family for all of their efforts to help raise funds for the Appeal. Simon decided to ride from London to Edinburgh to London to raise money for the Air Ambulance, and recently completed this arduous task with the help of his wife Lisa, and 2 children.

Simon and Lisa have been keen supporters of the WAAA ever since Lisa was head butted in the face by a Ewe, whilst working on their farm a few years ago. Lisa’s has made a full recovery, and the family have been raising money for us ever since.

We are truly grateful to all of them for their help and support, but would like to add an extra special thank you to Simon for braving the elements and helping to raise close to £10,000 in the process.

Click here for full report.

Thank You Avenue Doctors Surgery!

Paramedic Richard Miller’s father-in-law, Geoff Taylor, wanted to raise some money for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance, so he decided to shave off his ‘35 year old’ moustache for Charity!

The staff at the Avenue Doctors Surgery in Warminster all sponsored Geoff, and managed to raise an incredible £213 for the Air Ambulance Appeal.

Everyone at the Appeal would like to say a BIG thank you to Geoff (seen here standing next to Richard) for his bravery, and we would also like to thank all of his colleagues for so generously supporting him.

Bet its feeling a bit drafty now Geoff?!

Thank you to the Manners Family!

Steve Riddle, Paramedic, PC Kevin Reed and Pilot Richard Brockelhurst, airlifted Humphrey Manner in February 2009 after he had a nasty fall off his bike. As a result, he descended down a very steep bank and sustained maxilla facial injuries.  The Wiltshire Air Ambulance attended the incident and airlifted Humphrey to Salisbury Hospital from Upper Chute.

Humphrey, his mother Samantha, brother Orlando, and some of his friends visited the Air Operations Unit today, not only to thank the crew that rescued him, but to present them with a donation of £550, raised at a wine tasting event organised by Samantha at their local pub, the Fox Inn at Tangley.

Despite a few small scars on his face, we are delighted to report that Humphrey is completely healed now, and told the crew that he and his friends always wear helmets now when riding their bikes!

Everyone at the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal would like to say a big thank you to the Manners Family for their support!

In the photo: Back Row – PC Kev Reed, Samantha Manners, Orlando Manners; Front Row – Paramedic Jo Munday and Humphrey Manners

Thank you to everyone for attending the WAAA Blues Night!

I would like to thank all those that attended the WAAA Blues Night held at the Bear Hotel in Devizes on Saturday night.
A good time was had by all and we managed to raise £330 in the process!

I would like to extend a big thank you to Blues Reviewed for their excellent performance on the night and the Bear Hotel for their continued support.

I would also like to thank eveyone who attended for generously donating, and a special thanks to the following who kindly donated raffle prizes:

Police Aviation Services; Whatley Manor Spa; Wiltshire Golf & Country Club;
Millford Hall Hotel; Castle Combe Race Curcuit; Mr Joe Kerrawn; Ken & Karen Hart;
JJ’s Hair Group; Kadiem Ltd; Devizes WAA Charity Shop

Thank you to the Full Moon at Rudge!

The Full Moon Public House, located in a small Somerset hamlet, decided to support it’s local Air Ambulance by holding a quiz night.

The whole village attended, as well as many more, and managed to raise a fantastic £574.98p!

Dean Freeman, Manager, is seen here with some of the staff, handing over the money to Paramedic Jo Munday.

A big thank you  to everyone who organised and attended the event for your wonderful support!

From left to right; Dean Freeman, Eve Loughlin, Jo Munday Paramedic, and Anne Taylor.

Thank you to Malmesbury for all your support!

The Mayor of Malmesbury for 2008 - 2009, Mr Andrew Woodcock, nominated the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal as one of his supported charities during his year in office.   

Everyone in Malmesbury generously supported Andrew in his fund raising efforts and managed to raise £1694.06p.  Andrew and his wife Jenny, are seen here donating the funds to Paramedics Andy Newman and Jo Munday. 

At Andrew’s mayoral ball back in February, the town crier David Shelley hand painted the incredible pictures seen here in the photo.

We would like to say a huge thank you to Andrew and Jenny for all of their efforts on our behalf.  We would also like to thank David for his brilliant handy work, and all the people of Malmesbury for their enduring support over the years.

From left to right; Andy Newman Paramedic, Jo Munday Paramedic, Andrew Woodcock (Mayor of Malmesbury 2008-2009), David Shelley (Town Crier), and Mrs Jenny Woodcock.

Thank you Steve Norwell and the RAOB Frome & Warminster Province!

The Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes, Frome and Warminster Province, elected Mr Steve Norwell as their Grand Primo for 2008-2009.  Steve kindly nominated the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal as his charity of the year and has been diligently raising funds throughout his year in post.

Steve was involved in a serious road accident some 13 years ago, and the female passenger in the car that collided with Steve suffered a massive heart attack at the scene.  The Wiltshire Air Ambulance was called and managed to save the woman’s life before rapidly flying her to the nearest hospital.  Steve was so impressed that he has supported the Appeal ever since.

Steve, and his fellow Buffs, managed to raise an incredible £4414.55p for the Appeal, and are seen here presenting the donation to Appeal Co-ordinator Melanie Gee, at their Lodge in Frome.  Not only did the Lodge donate funds amounting to £1485.20p, but lots of local businesses and pubs in Frome kindly allowed Steve to place our collection tins in their premises.

Many thanks to the North Wiltshire Golf Club!

The North Wiltshire Golf Club recently held a fund raising golf event to raise money for the club to buy a De-Fibrillater and donate to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.  They managed to do both as the event was such a huge success and at a cheque presentation today, donated £500 to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

Jo Munday (Paramedic) gratefully received the donation on behalf of the Appeal.  She said, ‘We are always amazed at how much money is raised at these events, and very appreciative for all of the efforts of the organisers and attendees.  Thank you to everyone for donating and keeping us in the air.’

Many thanks to the JAM Ball!

Rob Bromley, seen here on the far right, decided to organise a Ball in memory of three friends that sadly died a few years ago, John Taylor, Andy Taylor, and Martin Carr, aptly named the JAM Ball. The event has become a huge success over the years and this year they raised an incredible £8000 for their two nominated charities, one being the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal and the Other the British Heart Foundation. Each charity received £4000!

We are extremely grateful to everyone for all of their efforts on behalf of the Appeal, and to everyone that attended the event and so generously donated.

Left and right;  Rob Taylor, Nathan Carr, Paul Bancroft (British Heart Foundation), Jo Munday (Paramedic),Dave Goodwin-Fielding, and Rob Bromley.

St James Wives Group of Trowbridge raised £500!

The St James Wives group nominated the Wiltshire Air Ambulance as their beneficiary charity of the year and at a fund raising event back in April, managed to raise an incredible £500 for the Appeal.

Heather Powell is seen here presenting their cheque to Paramedic Richard Miller at one of their frequent evening meetings.

We are all very grateful to the members of the Group for their wonderful efforts on behalf of the Appeal!

A big Thank You to the staff at ARVAL!

Once a month the staff at ARVAL in Swindon hold a staff dress down day and raise money for a nominated charity. This month was the turn of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance. The staff all donated to the Appeal as they arrived for work in their casual clothes and also organised a cake sale to raise funds.

Joe O’Rouke nominated the Wiltshire Air Ambulance after his son’s girlfriend tragically died a few months ago. Cheryl Wedge, 22, died suddenly having suffered heart complications. Despite every effort of our Paramedics to revive Cheryl, she sadly passed away en-route to hospital. Cheryl’s family and friends have since organised multiple fund raising events in Cheryl’s memory and raised an incredible amount of money for the Appeal.

Joe is seen here presenting the ARVAL donation, totalling £772.00p, to Paramedic Shaun Russell, who was the Paramedic on the scene attending to Cheryl. Joe said, “Thank you for all of your efforts for Cheryl. You do an incredible job and we hope that this donation contributes in a small way to keep the helicopter flying.”

Thanks to the Residents of Clift House in Chippenham!

Edna Bird and Beryl Johnson organise an annual garden party for the resident of Clift House in Chippenham, and raise money for charity. This year was the turn of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance, and the tombola, cake sale and raffle managed to raise a whopping £506 for the Appeal!

Melanie Gee, Appeal Administrator, is seen here receiving the donation from Edna and Beryl.

We are truly grateful to all of the residents for their support and generosity in helping to raise an incredible amount for the Appeal.