The well attended March Club Night at the Deanwater began with the regular get-together in the dining room, with NWAA volunteer Dave Thompson and his colleague Debra Millican joining the group for dinner before Dave’s presentation.
Founded in 1999 by the AA, the NWAA now operate three helicopters in the North West, and have recently added a similarly equipped BMW X5 to their yellow and blue fleet. The X5 enables the medical team to be available during “no fly” conditions, and also to attend local situations where the helicopter cannot land. The helicopter’s cruising speed of 160mph produces rapid response times in difficult to reach situations, where the “golden hour” is a critical time for survivors. It also ensures that casualties are transported to the most appropriate hospital for their type of injury. In all situations, the paramedics and doctors double as map readers and route planners.
The two helicopters based at Barton Aerodrome, and the one at Blackpool, currently do not operate at night. It is often forgotten that the NWAA is a charity and therefore relies on funding to support this amazing service 7 days a week and 365 days a year - and each operational minute costs £9.00.
Following a Q&A session, Sue Mayer presented a cheque for £366.00 to Debra; £200.00 of this was raised by Sue alone from sales of Advent Calendars and handmade items, with the remainder coming from the sale of raffle tickets for prizes donated by Club members.
Thanks go to Sue for her fantastic efforts - without her enthusiasm the connection between R5 and NWAA would not have been made. A big thank you also to everyone who attended the evening and supported this worthy cause.
Please note that there is a NWAA charity shop locally for members who may wish to donate: -
North West Air Ambulance Charity, Dean Row Court, Wilmslow, SK9 2TA
Opening hours: Monday to Saturday 9.30am – 5.00pm, Sunday 10.00pm – 4.00pm
Donation drop-off: Monday to Sunday: 10.00am – 4.00pm
Tel: 01625 900912