Arts festival drew crowds and £3200
Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance was able to respond quickly to a medical emergency in a remote Highland Perthshire community at the weekend.
The rapid response crew were on scene within minutes to attend to the seriously ill man. SCAA airlifted the patient and flew him to their base at Perth Airport where a waiting ambulance drove him the last few miles to Perth Royal Infirmary as the helicopter is unable to land at the PRI site.
SCAA’s speed can prove a vital lifeline in time-critical emergencies - especially when someone is ill or seriously injured on one of Scotland’s many islands.
This week, SCAA was called to the island of Islay when a woman needed an urgent airlift to hospital on the mainland.
SCAA’s pilot landed in the playground of Bowmore School to uplift the patient and then fly her to Glasgow Airport where she was transferred within minutes by road to the city’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
Other call outs for the frontline crew this week included a road traffic collision on the A9 near Pitlochry, an injured hillwalker in highland Perthshire and several medical emergencies using the charity’s Rapid Response Vehicle.
* * *** Rattray Arts Festival delivered a masterpiece when they raised over £3,200 for SCAA at their latest annual showcase.
Commission from the sales at the exhibition made up the record donation from an event which has kindly supported SCAA in the past.
Beautiful metal butterflies hand painted by a five-yearold girl from Aberfeldy have metamorphosed into a high flying £175 donation for SCAA. The youngster used the metalworks, handcrafted by her mother, to sell as a fundraiser for the air ambulance.
The award-winning Pitlochry Station Bookshop steamed ahead with a further £300 donation to SCAA.
The latest in a steady stream of regular donations was topped up with a further £37.50 raised through the sale of SCAA wristbands at the popular station platform outlet.
Thanks to the Women’s Presbyterian Association which has donated £175 following a talk to their recent Balbeggie meeting by a member of SCAA’s charity team.
The son of an Aberfeldy patient airlifted by SCAA has shown his gratitude to the charity by donating £400 while on a recent visit to Perthshire from his home in the USA.
SCAA collection cans being emptied at SCAA this week include locally placed ones from Bridge of Earn Co-op (£26.78) and the Old Filling Station, Aberfeldy (£26.15).
**** With only eight weeks to go until Christmas, SCAA is hoping supporters will choose to send their festive greetings on their newly unveiled charity card.
This year’s design illustrates SCAA undertaking a Christmas flight, with the iconic Forth Rail Bridge in the background. The charity’s land-based Rapid Response Vehicle also features in the new card which was produced by Ling Design.
This year’s Christmas cards cost £4 for a pack of 10 (plus postage and packaging). They can be purchased locally from: AK Bell Library, Perth; Brig Farm Shop, near Perth; East of Scotland Farms, Coupar Angus; Auchtherhouse Country Sports. Or order yours by calling SCAA during office hours on 0300 123 1111 or pick them up personally at their Perth Airport base.
***** SCAA will make a presentation on the work of the life-saving charity to an audience at Guildtown Friendship Club at their 2pm meeting next Wednesday (November 1) in Guildtown Village Hall.
***** Have you been helped by SCAA? If the charity flew to the aid of you or a loved one, we would love to hear from you. Patients who are willing to share their story and experiences help SCAA to publicise and promote their life-saving service.
No-one tells of the impact Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance is making better than the people whose lives have been touched by the fast-response emergency service.
Share your story by contacting media@scaa.org. uk