Fund for air ambulance

Dear Editor,

This month, Scotland’s charity air ambulance (SCAA) marks its fifth anniversary – a significant milestone made possible by the generosity and support of the people of Scotland, many of them Advertiser readers.

This outstanding support has enabled Scotland’s only charity-funded helicopter air ambulance to respond to nearly 1800 emergency callouts in every corner of the country since it launched in 2013.

You may have heard of SCAA’s recently-announced fundraising drive to launch a second helicopter to expand our life-saving work – and providing additional pre-hospital cover for your community.

As we mark five years of saving and improving lives, we’re asking everyone to get behind our“Give Us Five” campaign and help us fly into the future.

Consider supporting us by climbing five Munros? Swim, run, cycle, ride or walk 5k for SCAA? Volunteer five hours to help? Donate £5? Give up your favourite thing for five hours, five days or five weeks?

SCAA has given you five years’service – now we’re asking you to“Give Us Five”in return.

So please create your own five-themed fundraiser and join us in our bid to provide a second charity-funded air ambulance to serve the people of Scotland.

We need £6 million to launch Helimed 79 and with your support we will see a second“people’s helicopter” take to the air, saving time and saving lives.

You might need our help tomorrow, but we need your help today.

Visit scaa.org.uk/supportus/GiveUsFive to find out more about the campaign.

Thank you, on behalf of SCAA and the many hundreds of people we will help in the future. David Craig, chief executive, Scotland’s charity air ambulance