Community praised for their fundraising efforts

WILTSHIRE Air Ambulance (WAA) is thanking everyone who took part in fundraising during Air Ambulance Week and the Big Give Christmas Challenge last year.

The two initiatives combined have raised just over £20,000 and the organisers said the support from the public was fantastic.

During Air Ambulance Week, the theme was heroes, and over 3,000 children took part by dressing up as their favourite superhero, while 17 organisations held events and there were six supermarket collections in the county.  To date £14,158.90 has been raised and with more money still to come in, the final figure is expected to exceed £15,000.

The Big Give Christmas Challenge, which took place 4th-6th December, involved supporters donating online to secure matched funding during the time it was available, raised a further £6,835 including Gift Aid. As part of the Big Give, WAA received match funding from The Andrew Smiley Charitable Trust and Candis Club.

The money raised from this online challenge will go towards funding Critical Care training for WAA’s new paramedics.

Rebecca de la Bedoyere, WAA’s fundraising manager said, “We were absolutely delighted by the support of people for Air Ambulance Week and the Big Give Christmas Challenge and we’d like to thank everyone who took part.

“Our hero-themed Air Ambulance Week must have set a Wiltshire Air Ambulance record for the number of fundraising activities happening in the county at once! Individuals and organisations from every corner of the county took part and had a fun time, and they are all heroes to us. We’re now planning an even bigger programme of events for Air Ambulance Week 2015.”