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

Well done Melksham CATS RFC!

Paramedic Andy Newman is seen here gratefully receiving a donation from the Melksham CATS RFC.

The donation money was raised in lieu of fines for various misdemeanours during a rugby tour of Newquay, by various age groups from Melksham CATS RFC.  The swear box having raised the most money!

Many thanks guys and girls for being so naughty and raising so much money for the WAAA!

Thank you to The Shires Shopping Centre!

Steve Murray, Centre Manager of The Shires Shopping Centre, paid the crew a visit at the Air Operations Unit today, to donate £265, raised at a recent event held at The Shires.

Shoppers were given the opportunity to win two tickets to the British F1 Grand prix if they drove the fastest lap in the F1 simulator. All of the proceeds were donated to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal, and an incredible £265 was raised on the day.

Many thanks to The Shires for organising the event and to all those who participated and contributed!

Slow going for the Startley Tractor Run, but they did it!
On June 7th, Roy and Marion Webb decided to hold a pre 1990 Tractor Run, and donate all the funds raised to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

Everyone who participated had a great day out (the weather was kind for once) and enjoyed a wonderful Bar-b-Que lunch and afternoon tea for their efforts.

Our sincere thanks go to Roy and Marion for all of their efforts, and to everyone who participated and contributed.

Thank you Year 8 and South Wilts Grammar School!

8 of the pupils in Year 8, at South Wilts Grammar School decided to support the Wiltshire Air Ambulance, by raising money at their annual charity fair.

It was entirely left to the pupils how they would raise the money for their designated charities, and the girls are seen here presenting their donation of £86.21p to Paramedic Steve Riddle.

A lot of though and careful planning went into their fund raising and we are truly grateful for their efforts on behalf of the Appeal. Their teacher Lindsay Chamberlain said, ‘I am really proud of how the girls worked together and raised the money. They did everything themselves and I was just a bystander in all of it.’

Thanks Girls and good job!

Thank You BOB!

The proceeds from the sale of tea and coffee at BOB’s (Business over Breakfast) first Trade Fair in Devizes was donated to support the phenomenal work of the Air Operations Unit, and the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

BOB spokesman Noel Woolrych said, ‘We are really pleased to be able to make a small contribution to the valuable work of this necessary service.’

BOB managed to raise £302.08p, which was gratefully received by Paramedic Jo Munday.

Big Thank You to Janice Ford and everyone at West Grimstead!

Janice Ford, and some of her friends, decided to organise a skittles evening at West Grimstead Village Hall all in aid of the WAAA, and offer all participants a bangers and mash supper.

Everyone turned out in force and they managed to raise an incredible £300! Janice was so pleased with the success of the event that she has decided to make it an annual occurrence, all in aid of the WAAA.

Janice is seen here presenting their donation to Paramedic Jo Munday, along with her husband Peter Ford, Gwynneth Doran, Frank Doran, Betty Barnett, Martyn Fry, Cathy Glynn-Baker, and Sharon Finmore-Wooldridge.

Thank you Mr Wookey and the residents of Rushall!

Barry Wookey set about writing a book about Rushall, The Recent History of Rushall 1928-2008, in the hope that it would serve to bring residents and locals up to date with the village and what has been happening in recent years. Mr Wookey’s family have lived and farmed The Estate in Rushall since 1945 but other lifelong members of the Rushall community assisted him with the content of the book, namely Howard Stacey, Ken Mundy, and Kathy Cotterill.

The book was produced free of charge and instead of requesting a fee, Mr Wookey decided to try and raise funds for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal by asking that people made donations instead. They have raised an incredible £932.50p for the Appeal, and are all seen here presenting the donation.

Our sincere thanks go to all for their efforts whilst working on the book, and to everyone that kindly donated to the Appeal.

Well done William!

William Cooper, and his Mum and Dad, visited the Air Operations Unit recently and donated £164.00p.

William decided to walk across Salisbury Plain and managed to raise money from sponsorship for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

Many thanks for your support William and congratulations on completing such an amazing walk.

William, and Mr & Mrs Cooper, are seen here presenting their donation to Paramedic Bruce Jarvis.

Thank You Mid Wilts Schoolboy Motor Cross Club!

Dave West is the Chairman of the Mid Wilts Schoolboy Motocross Club, and some of the members of the Club joined him in presenting Paramedic Shaun Russell with a donation of £206.38p from a recent fund raising event held at the Club.

From left to right:
Stefan Pratt, David West, Graham Pratt, Ryan Pratt (young lad in front), Paramedic Shaun Russell, and Stuart West.

Our sincere thanks go to everyone at the Club and to all those that support their events.

Thanks you Mr & Mrs Culley!

Mr & Mrs Culley recently visited the Air Operations Unit at Devizes and presented Paramedic Shaun Russell with a donation of £300.

Mrs Culley celebrated her 80th birthday and asked that friends and family donate to the Appeal rather than give her gifts.

Congratulations Mrs Culley and thank you for your support of the WAAA!

Thanks to the West Wilts Ball Team!

Our thanks go to everyone who contributed and donated at the recent West Wilts Farmers Ball, held in April at the Neeld Hall in Chippenham.

Rachel Willis and Roz Candy are seen here giving their incredible donation of £1,000 to Paramedic Richard Miller, at the Air Operations Unit in Devizes.

The Ball was well attended and we understand that everyone had a great time. Thanks again for all of your efforts on behalf of the Appeal.

Your continued support over the years is much appreciated.

Thank you Pewsey Carnival!

Pewsey Carnival once again raised money for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal, and Richard Giles, Chairman Pewsey Carnival Committee, and Lauren Cook, Pewsey Carnival Queen, are seen here presenting Paramedic Andy Newman with a donation of £1,000.

Every year the Pewsey Carnival committee nominate a charity as their beneficiary and in 2008 they chose the WAAA. We are all most grateful to everyone for the continued support and thank you for your most generous donation.

Thank You Penny and Terry!

Penny Few and her cousin Terry Smith both recently celebrated their 60th birthdays, and both decided that instead of receiving gifts they would ask that their friends and family donate money to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

They both managed to raise £400 each, and are seen here donation £800 to Paramedic Andy Newman.

In the picture, from left to right: Vernon & Penny Few, Leah & Lawson Few (grandchildren), and Terry & Iris Smith.

Congratulations to you both – neither of you look a day over 21 – and a big thank you to everyone for you kind donations to the WAAA!

Neston Drama Group Perform for the WAAA!

The Neston Drama Group have managed to raise an incredible £1200 since 2001 for the WAAA. At their last two productions they raised £346, and some of the members are seen here presenting their donation to Paramedic Shaun Russell.

Their next production kicks of on May 21st and they are hoping that their keen audience will be as supportive as they have been in the past, and help them to raise more money for the Appeal.

In the picture are: Karen Roman, Jean Hartley, Andrew Smith, Mavis Smith, and Brian Langley.

Everyone at the Appeal would like to say a big thank you to all of the members for their excellent acting skills, and to all those that attended the productions and donated to the Appeal.

Thanks Carol, once again, for everything you do!

Carol Goodenough has been organising fund raising events for the Appeal for the past 12 years. Over the years Carol and the ‘Young Farmers’ have managed to raise in excess of £15,000 all from what started as a pub game!

Never did she think that when it all started as a pub game of heads and tails, at which they raised £300, would it grow to the huge success that it is today. The winner of the first event donated his winnings back to the WAAA, and this spurred Carol on to make it an annual event which has grown over the years to the Young Farmers Barn Dances.

This year they raised £4317.76p at the annual Barn Dance held in Calne, and Carol and some of the other organisers who have also been involved for year, are seen here donating their cheque to Paramedic Shaun Russell.

The WAA Appeal would like to say a huge thank you to everyone for all of their efforts over the years, especially to Carol and Pete!

Organisers: Pete & Carol Goodenough, Beth Goodenough, Mick Miles, Reg Miles, Andy & Annette Buzza, Brian Meadows, Steve Cripps, Arthur Ford, Dani & Dick French, and Colin Amphlett.

Model Railway enthusiasts turn out in force!

David and Patricia Moore, of Corsham, have been building their model garden railway since 2000. In 2001 they decided to have their first open day, and have been opening up their garden once a year ever since. David has painstakingly engineered an incredible display of scale model steam engines and locomotives, whilst Patricia has hand built all of the scenery and gardens, including every model home, station, church and farmyard. It is the most incredible display in which every inch of their garden is utilised, all with functioning signals, lighting, waterfalls and trains.

This year David and Patricia decided to open up their garden over the bank holiday weekend and raise money for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal. Train enthusiasts turned out in their droves and they managed to raise an incredible £194.70p for the Appeal.

Everyone at the WAAA would like to say a huge thank you to David and Patricia for all of their efforts on behalf of the Appeal, and to everyone that supported their event!

Thank You Intransit!

Derek Milner from Intransit Removals and Storage in Trowbridge wanted to support the WAAA and has decided to show that support on the rear of all of his company vehicles.  Anytime that you see one of the Intransit vans they will have our logo on the rear showing their support. Derek has become one of the Appeals corporate sponsors and has also adapted the Intransit client paperwork to include an area where his clients can offer to make a small donation to the WAAA.

We are truly grateful to Derek and Intransit for their support!

Derek and his team can be contacted at www.wiltshireremovals.co.uk or call him on 01225 759200 or 07990 837773.

Well done to the Year 8 pupils at St Francis School in Pewsey!

15 Year 8 pupils at St Francis School, Pewsey, recently held a talent show, entitled 'Last Saint Standing,' and as a result managed to raise an incredible £1000 for the WAAA. Every year, the Year 8 students organise a fund-raising event and choose the charity they wish to support. This year the chosen charity was the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal. From an idea discussed back in October, the students formed a formal committee and initiated everything themselves.

Their proud teacher Yvonne Parmenter contacted us and we invited the group over to the Air Operations Unit to thank them for all of their efforts on behalf of the Appeal. Paramedic Bruce Jarvis is seen here gratefully accepting their donation on behalf of the Appeal.

Thank You John & Sandra Philips!

John and Sandra Philips daughter, Michelle Philips, sadly passed away as a result of a road traffic accident 5 years ago on Good Friday. Monthly dances have since been organised at Melksham House to raise money for charity. A recent dance held in memory of Michelle, raised money for the WAAA.

Mike and Margaret Colin’s & Susan and Bob Mortimer attended a visit to the Air Operations Unit and kindly presented Paramedic Bruce Jarvis with a donation of £136.00p

Our sincere thanks go to everyone for organising the events, and to all those who participate and donate.

Names from left to right:
PC Kev Reed; Francis Cooke; Kevin Cooke; Pam Cooke; Malcolm Cooke; Jayne Cooke; Richard Cooke; Clare Cooke; Paramedic Andy Newman;
Pilot Matt Tacon.

Richard Cooke and his family present the Crew with their donation of £1500

Richard Cooke, of Weston Super Mare, was attended to by the WAA nine months ago when he was working on a roof near Bath which collapsed, causing him to fall 30ft onto a concrete floor below.  Richard suffered horrific injuries including a collapsed lung, cracked skull, and a serious back injury which had squashed his spinal cord. 

The WAA flew Richard to Frenchay Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.  Richard’s spinal cord was so severely bruised that he lost all feeling below the waist.  He has since spent 9 months confined to a wheelchair but is slowly regaining movement, and undergoing physiotherapy twice a week.  Richard didn’t think that he would ever walk again but Doctors have now told him that it can take up to 3 years to get the full feeling back, but it is likely that he will be able to walk again.

Richard believes that his injuries could have been a lot worse if it weren’t for the quick response of the WAA.  To show his gratitude, he and his family visited the Air Operations Unit at Devizes to thank the crew that attended to him.  Richard met Paramedic Andy Newman, Police Observer Kev Reed, and Pilot Matt Tacon.

Richard’s grandparents recently celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary, and instead of receiving gifts asked that friends and family made donations to the WAAA.  They all presented an incredible £1500 to the Crew, and thanked them for the fantastic work that they do.

Thank You to The Antelope Inn at Upavon

Staff at the Antelope Inn organised a fund raising event in aid of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal and managed to raise an incredible £150.00p.

We would like to thank everyone who attended the event and generously donated, and to all the staff for all of their efforts in raising the money for the Appeal.  We would also like to thank The Antelope Inn for kindly giving one of our collection tins a good home!

Steve Riddle Paramedic is seen here receiving the donation from some of the staff members.

Ruby Wedding raises £435!

Sandra and Neville Doel celebrated their Ruby Wedding Anniversary and in lieu of receiving gifts they asked that everyone make donations to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

They managed to raise an incredible £435.00 and are seen here presenting their donation to Paramedic Shaun Russell.

Thank you Mr & Mrs Doel, and congratulations on celebrating your Ruby Wedding Anniversary.

The Hon. Patrick Howard visits the Air Operations Unit

The Air Operations were privileged to receive a visit from The Hon. Patrick Howard, who presented the crew with a donation of £5,000 raised at his wife’s Memorial Service at St Margaret’s Church, Westminster Abbey.

Mary Howard, a former vogue model who had dedicated the last 20 years of her life to charitable causes, sadly died on November 9th last year in a 3 car collision. She was flown by the Wiltshire Air Ambulance to Swindon’s GWH where she passed away.

At her memorial service, a retiring collection was held for the WAAA and an incredible £5,000 was raised for the Appeal. Mr Howard commented on the service and the incredible support he has received, he said: ‘It was an amazing turn out and the memorial was fitting for such an amazing woman. I had 42 years with my wonderful wife but quite selfishly I would have liked just a few more.’

‘It was a wonderful service and I am unbelievably proud of my four son’s who read and gave the address. They have been brilliant and last year were wonderful keeping everything going.’

Mr Howard wanted to thank the crew that attended to his wife on that fateful day, and has offered to make the WAAA one of the sponsored charities at the next Mary Howard Sale in Hullavington in November this year. He thanked Paramedic Richard Miller and Police Observer Nigel Gilbert for all of their efforts, and for the wonderful work they do on a daily basis. He said, ‘You were all fantastic and everyone should support you.’ The Pilot, Bob Lowis was on annual leave and unable to attend the visit.

All at the WAAA and the Air Operations Unit want to extend our sincere condolences to Mr Howard and his four sons for their said loss, but would like to thank them all for their incredible support.

Clay Pigeon Shoot does it again!

Andrew Bradley once again organised their annual clay pigeon shoot at Barbury Shooting School, on behalf of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal, and are seen here donating an incredible £5000.

We would all like to extend our sincere thanks for all of their efforts and continued support of the Appeal. Thanks also go to all of the participants for their most generous donations.

Thank you to the staff at LINPAC

The staff at LINPAC Environmental decided to not send each other Christmas Cards but instead raise money for charity. They managed to donate an incredible £250.00p for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal and Tamsin Hutchings (design and marketing) and Katie Green (marketing manager) are seen here presenting their cheque to Paramedics Shaun Russell and Andy Newman.

Thanks to all the staff at LINPAC for participating and contributing – your support is greatly appreciated!

Chippenham Lions raise funds for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal

Once again the Chippenham Lions Club has, done an incredible job in raising money for charity.

Byron Hughes, the Club President, is seen here presenting their incredible donation of £2000 to Paramedic Andy Newman.

Every year the Lions Club President nominates their own beneficiary charity, and this year Byron wanted the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal to be the recipient of their fund raising activities.

We are all extremely grateful to Byron and everyone who participated and contributed this year. Thank you!

Marlborough Ladies Bowls Club – thank you!

The Marlborough Ladies Bowls Club managed to raise an incredible £700 for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal, and kindly presented their donation to Paramedic Bruce Jarvis.

Everyone at the Appeal would like to thank all members of the club for their participation and generosity. Your efforts help us to keep the helicopter flying!

The Vibe perform for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance

Alex Strasman and band members of The Vibe are seen here presenting their donation of £255 to Paramedic Steve Riddle. At the beginning of their concert at the King’s Arms in Shaftesbury on April 10th, the band presented us with funds raised at various events they have performed at in the past few months.

The Vibe are a popular covers band based in the South West. They have been performing for 5 years and have the average age of 20! Performing at Weddings, Parties, and Live Music Venues most weekends, The Vibe cater for all ages and perform vintage classics as well as the most recent pop songs. Their sets are full of energy and charisma and always leave their audience wanting more!

Our thanks go to all of the band members and everyone that attended their concerts and so generously donated!

Thank You Stroud & Swindon Building Society!

Shona Barker, Branch Manager of the Stroud and Swindon Building Society in Melksham, and her team selected the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal as their registered charity of the year in 2008.

Through various events and activities in the Branch they managed to raise a fantastic £1000, and some of them are seen here donating £1,000 to Paramedic Bruce Jarvis.

The Stroud & Swindon Building Society have been supporting the WAAA for a number of years now and we would all like to say a big thank you for your continued support!

Residents at Chantry Court do it again!

Residents at Chantry Court in Devizes raised an incredible £200 by collecting their 5 pence pieces every week at their coffee mornings.

In the photo Resident Vicky Brooke presents the donation cheque to Paramedic Jo Munday, and Committee member Joyce Spencer holds up the temperature chart which shows how much as been raised.

Thank You St Dunstan’s School!

The students from St Dunstan’s School in Calne presented Paramedic Jo Munday with a fantastic donation of £350, at their Friday school assembly.

The students decided to raise money for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal by organising activities and short plays in the weekly assemblies and presented them to the other students and parents. Donations were made at the end of each assembly throughout the year.

Our thanks go out to all of the students for their efforts and to the parents for kindly donating to the Appeal!

Ogbourne School Jumble Sale raises £600!

Students at the Ogbourne School, in Ogbourne St George organised, a Jumble Sale at the school and managed to raise an incredible £600 for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

Paramedic Jo Munday attended the weekly school assembly and students presented her with the donation.

Thanks go to everyone at the school for organising the Jumble Sales and also to all those that attended.

Thank you Concept Employment

Lisa-Marie Duffy from Concept Staffing organised a sponsored breakfast for the Crew at the Air Operations Unit, and managed to raise £237.00p from her colleagues at Concept.

Lisa-Marie presented the donation to Paramedic Richard Miller, Pilot George Lawrence, and Police Observer Adrian Wells, and breakfast was served to the hungry crew on Saturday morning.

Friends of Durrington raise £1000!

Primrose Taylor and the Friends of Durrington kindly donated a whopping £1000 to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance, and are seen here presenting their donation at their weekly Bingo Night to Paramedic Andy Newman.

Every year the ladies organise various fund raising events and activities, all in aid of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal, and raise an awful lot of money for the Appeal.

Out thanks go to everyone who participate and contribute – without you the Air Ambulance wouldn’t be able to continue flying in the skies of Wiltshire.

Thank you AFL

Staff at AFL Telecommunications Europe Ltd, based in Swindon, donated £145 to paramedic Andy Newman.

Dave Papworth, seen here in the picture, organises an annual staff Christmas raffle, all in aid of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal, and this year managed to raised £145.

Thank you Lillia Calthrop

Claire Calthrop and family visited the Air Support Unit in Devizes to donate £1000 raised at the 2nd Lillia Calthrop Golf Tournament.

Lillia sadly passed away on the 19th of March 2007, having been born with a rare and incurable lung disorder called Alveolar Capillary Dysplasia (ACD). She was air lifted to hospital by the Wiltshire Air Ambulance and spent a week in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at Bristol’s Children’s Hospital. Despite battling bravely Lillia passed away at almost 3 weeks old.

Her memory lives on and the Lillia Calthrop Tribute Fund now raises money for both the Wiltshire Air Ambulance and the PICU. Last years 2nd annual golf tournament raised nearly £5000 and the money has been divided between the two charities.

In the picture Richard Miller, Paramedic, receives the donation from Claire Calthrop, her family, and her mother Ginette Hughes.

Pedalling for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal

Eleanor Townsend paid the Air Support Unit a visit and donated an incredible £1100 to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

In 2006 the WAA saved the life of a friend of Eleanor’s, who was involved in a motor bike accident at Lydeway. Eleanor has been cycling ever since to raise money for the Appeal, and in her sponsored bike ride in 2008 managed to raise an incredible £1100.

Eleanor is seen here with Paramedic Andy Newman, who accepted the donation on behalf of the Appeal.

“We are all extremely grateful to Eleanor for all of her efforts, and will be looking forward to seeing her ride again in 2009.”

Thanks Eleanor!

Thank you Chippenham Town Band

Members of Chippenham Town Band present a cheque for £700 to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

On 13th March members of the Band visited the Air Support Unit at Devizes to present a cheque for £700 to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

The money had been collected at the Band’s Christmas Carol playing events in the High Street and at Morrison’s supermarket. The band chooses a charity to support each year and chose the Air Ambulance Appeal in memory of member Phil Salsbury who died last July.

The Air Ambulance provides a vital service to the people of Wiltshire as it allows help to be provided quickly and in inaccessible locations. After a patient has been stabilised they can be transferred swiftly to hospital, even if it is a more distant specialist unit which would take far longer to reach by road.

The Band was delighted to hear the service, operated jointly with the Police, has been safeguarded with the signing of a new contract. The amount raised last Christmas was a new record for the Band, whose members wish to thank the people of Chippenham for their generous donations.

It was fitting that just as the Band members were getting ready to leave an emergency call came-in and the aircraft was quickly scrambled.

Hugo Halkes Charitable Trust

Lyn Halkes presented £2,675 to Paramedic Bruce Jarvis during a visit to the Air Support Unit last week.

Lyn’s son, Hugo, was attended to by the Air Ambulance a couple of years ago but sadly lost his life. Lyn and her husband Nigel have since set up the Hugo Halkes Charitable Trust which raises money for the WAAA, and other young children’s charities.

Lyn, Nigel, and friend, Linda Ellis, have been organising charitable events, along with some of Hugo’s friends, over the past few years and have managed to raise an incredible amount of money for charity. The WAAA would like to thank you all for your joint efforts in helping us keep the helicopter flying!

Gotta hand it to RAF Lyneham!

Squadron Leader Graeme Gualt (on the left) & Wing Commander Mike Wilson paid the Air Operations Unit a visit last week and kindly donated 3 pairs of flying gloves to all of the Paramedics who work on the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

Bruce Jarvis, Paramedic, seen here accepting their donation said ‘all the crew members are extremely grateful for this most generous donation as the cost for us to purchase them would have been in the region of £500. Donations of this type assist us in keeping the helicopter flying and are always much appreciated.’

Thank you to the Young Farmers!

Wiltshire Young Farmers visited the Air Support Unit in Devizes and presented their donation of £200 to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

Presenting the cheque were Chris Clover, County Vice Chairman, Anne Bullman and Emily Darvil. Paramedic Shaun Russell received the donation.

Thanks again to the Federation of Young Farmers for all of their support throughout the year!

50 Years of Wedded Bliss!

Mr & Mrs Hampshire recently celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary and rather than receive gifts, they requested that their friends and family donate to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal. They managed to raise an incredible £720 and are seen here presenting their donation to Paramedic, Shaun Russell, along with their daughter in law, and grandson’s Adam and Mathew.

Congratulations Mr & Mrs Hampshire from everyone at the Wiltshire Air Ambulance!

Castle Coombe Colts donate £550 to the WAAA

Below is the letter we’ve received from Neil Stewart re. the Castle Coombe Colts cheque presentation. Thanks Neil, your kind words and donation are much appreciated!

Seen here in the photo are some of my Boys in the Under 16's presenting the £550 cheque to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance at our training session on the Chippenham astro turf.
This money was raised by Castle Coombe Colts Football Club during a bag packing session at Sainsbury's as a thank you for helping one of our team members last year when he broke his ankle playing at a football tournament. The Paramedic in the picture, Andy Newman, was in the quick response vehicle that got to us with in 30 minutes and then called for the Air Ambulance helicopter that arrived and took Bilal to Swindon hospital.
We believe that the fast response and speed in getting to Swindon Hospital helped get the lad's leg fixed and played a vital part in his fast recovery. The break was one of the worst I have ever seen and was very similar to Eduardo's break at Arsenal seen by millions on the TV.
We want to say a big thank you for this valuable service and let them all know how much we appreciate them.

Regards
Neil Stewart
Castle Coombe Colts FC Under 16s

St Francis School does it again!

Caroline Findlay and Sally Matton once again organised the hugely successful St Francis School in Pewsey Christmas Fair, and managed to raised an incredible £900 for the WAAA on the day!

Seen here from left:  Caroline Findlay, Basil Brown (headmaster), Shaun Russell, Paramedic, and Sally Matton.

Thanks again to everyone that participated and contributed.  Your efforts are much appreciated by everyone at the WAAA.

Thank you to Highworth Warneford School!

The pupils are seen here presenting Paramedic Shaun Russell, with a cheque for £110.00p, raised at their annual school Christmas disco.  The pupils organised the disco and raised the funds from door fees charged on the night.

Wootton Bassett 6th Form School sing their hearts out for the WAA

Pupils and staff from Wootton Bassett 6th Form School managed to raise an incredible £2198.76p at various events throughout the year, all for the benefit of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Appeal.

Seen here in the picture are just some of the students who participated in cabaret evenings and fund raising events. Paramedic Shaun Russell accepts their most generous donation.

Sincere thanks go to all at the Wootton Bassett 6th Form School for all of their hard work and effort!

The WAA would like to thank the Whitehall Garden Centre for their continued support!

Paramedics Bruce Jarvis and Steve Riddle are seen here receiving the Whitehall Garden Centres fantastic donation amount to £2897.50p, from Nuala Townsend (Whitehall’s Gift Manager). Whitehall support the Wiltshire Air Ambulance every Christmas by selling our Christmas cards and merchandise, as well holding events throughout the year. 2008 proved to be a very successful year indeed as they managed to raise an incredible amount which will be put to very good use.

Our sincere and heartfelt thanks go out to Whitehall Garden Centre for their continued support!

Thanks again to the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes

Paul Taylor from the RAOB is seen here presenting a donation amounting to £3500 to Paramedic Steve Riddle.

Paul, Provincial Grand Primo 2008 for Chippenham and District Province RAOB, designated the Wiltshire Air Ambulance as his beneficiary charity for the year. He managed to raise a whooping £3500 from various events and fund raising activities during his time as Provincial Grand Primo, and our sincere thanks go to him and all those who participated and donated.

For more information about the RAOB please visit their website at www.raob.org

Our Heart Felt Thanks to Sioux Tonkin and Tracey West

The Wiltshire Air Ambulance would like to say a heart felt thanks to Sioux Tonkin and Tracey West for their very kind donation amounting to £628.89p.

The donation was made in the memory of Peter Tonkin ,52, who sadly passed away in a serious road traffic accident whilst he was on his way to work in Devon. The money was raised during a collection at Peter’s funeral, and from a collection held at Peter’s favourite pub, The Winchester Gate in Salisbury.

Sioux and Tracy are seen here donating the money to Paramedic Steve Riddle.

Our sincere condolences go to Sioux, family and friends for their very sad loss.

A Very BIG Thank You to The Bruce Arms!

The Wiltshire Air Ambulance would like to say a very big thank you to The Bruce Arms at Pewsey for once again donating to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

Jackie Butler and her team managed to raise a whopping £1300 at the 9th Charity Auction, all in aid of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.  Their donations now total close to £10,000 over the years that they have been running these events.  We would like to thank all those that participated in these events, especially the organisers and donors.  We know from our own experience that these events take an awful lot of planning and organising to make them a success.

The Bruce Arms would like to thank the following people for donating auction items: Kennet Tyres Marlborough, T.H.Whites Marlborough, Toni & Guy Marlborough, Mundy DIY, French Horn Pewsey, and Crown P/H Pewsey.

Paramedic and Clinical Team Leader Richard Miller accepted the donation from Jackie and her crew.  Thanks again to you all!

Thank You Hills Recycling

Hills Recycling managed to raise £350 during their Staff Christmas Raffle. This is the 2nd year that they have organised this fund raising event and have donated a total of £700 to the WAA.

Ken Webb, Paul Hill, Clyde Robertson, Paul Sandell, and are pictured here presenting their donation to Paramedic Richard Miller.

Thanks Guys – your efforts and continued support is much appreciated by all at the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

Thank You Babes on our Bikes

A big thank you goes to all that participated in this years B.O.O.B.S (Babes on our Bikes) 2009 Calendar.

At a cheque presentation at the Lysley Arms in Chippenham a donation was presented to the two recipient Charities, Tenovus and the Wiltshire Air Ambulance, for a whopping £3022.00p. Each charity received their individual donations amounting to £1511 plus some additional cash raised from the sale of the calendars in the final days.

Everyone that contributed has done an absolutely fabulous job in not only sourcing the printers, photographers, venues for the photos, and distribution to businesses and pubs throughout Wiltshire. They have all worked tirelessly in their efforts to make the calendar a huge success and raise an awful lot of money for both Charities.

A special thank goes to Rod Long-Able for his stylish photography, Karen Stevens (Miss September), Mel Richmond (Miss July), and Sue Barns (Miss August) for all of their efforts in producing and selling the calendars, Sarah Scoble, the Landlady of the Lysley Arms for kindly donated her pub as a venue for weekly meets and fund raising events, and Will Humphrey for his most generous donation of £1000 which was put towards printing costs.

We are all very appreciative of the efforts that have gone into this years BOOBS Calendar and would like to thank all of the girls once again for their participation!

Thank You Warren Gleeson and Doug Bradshaw

The Wiltshire Air Ambulance would like to say a huge thank you to Warren Gleeson and Doug Bradshaw, seen here presenting their kind donation of £1500 to Paramedic Bruce Jarvis.

Warren and Doug have been running the staff tuck shop at the Swindon Quadrant Building for the last year. The tuck shop runs on low margins and to help maintain the low prices stock is bought from local supermarkets. Through sales and occasional raffles and lotto events they managed to raise £1500 with assistance from the Alcatel-Lucent Society Matters Group.

Thank You Trowbridge United Church

The Wiltshire Air Ambulance would like to thank the Trowbridge United Church for their kind donation of £362.50.

Trowbridge United Church hosted An Evening with Fiona Castle back in 2008 and generously donated funds raised from ticket sales. We would like to add a big thank you to Fiona Castle for her time and efforts on behalf of the Wiltshire Air Ambulance. The event was extremely well received and we truly appreciate the support shown by all who attended.

In the photo Paramedic Bruce Jarvis receives the donation from Lorna Letters, Sue Blick, Maureen Belgrove, and Dawn Bartlet.

Thank You Wyvern Brass Band

Kelvin Nash and the Wyvern Brass Band visited the Air Support Unit to present their most generous donation of £800 to Paramedic Shaun Russell.

They managed to raise the money playing to passing shoppers in Devizes, leading up to Christmas.  Despite the freezing cold weather lots of money was raised and we would like to say a heart felt thanks for all of their efforts and to all those that participated and donated to the Appeal.

Thank You Mr & Mrs Pidduck

The Wiltshire Air Ambulance would like to say a heartfelt thanks to William Pidduck for his most generous donation totalling £3000. Mr Pidduck raised £500 at the Erlestoke & Great Cherverall Panto, £2000 through Mr Pidducks company, Adam Matthew Publications Limited, and he and his wife most generously donated £500.

Thank You Calne Bike Group

The Wiltshire Air Ambulance would like to say a really big thank you to the Calne Bike Group for their donation of £1000, raised at recent events.

Sadly, John Taylor, owner of the motorcycle shop in Calne, died early this year, and in his memory the group decided to raise funds for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

In the picture, Mrs Taylor, John’s widow, presents the cheque to Paramedic Andy Newman. Our heartfelt thanks go to Mrs Taylor and all the other participants and donors.