Air ambulance charity prepares to mark its 30th anniversary by going red

NEXT Friday marks Midlands Air Ambulance Charity’s official 30th anniversary and the service is encouraging everyone in Staffordshire to “Go Red” for the day to commemorate the milestone.

To mark the milestone, the charity has published 30 ways to support its work with ideas on its website.

The fundraising ideas range from something as simple as wearing red on the charity’s birthday. If red is not your colour, styling your outfit with red accessories and shoes could work as an alternative.

Emma Gray, chief operating officer for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity said: “2021 continues to be an important milestone year for the charity, despite the past 12 months being exceptionally challenging due to the demand for our service and significant reduction in fundraising. We are determined to commemorate our Air30 year with the communities we serve and thank them for their unfaltering support, past, present and in the future.

“We would love our loyal supports to Go Red on 21st May, donate what they can and share their support on social media in recognition of the last 30 years of advanced lifesaving care across the Midlands.”

The service was launched on Tuesday May 21, 1991, when a handful of people formally launched the new air ambulance service called “Air 5” at Hagley Hall, Worcestershire, operating a Bolkow aircraft.

The air ambulance service was one of the first of its kind in the UK. It was operational five days a week and attended its first successful mission, six days after its launch on Monday May 27, 1991.

A female patient had suffered a mountainside fall in Hay-on-wye, Powys and needed pre-hospital emergency care. The newly established flight crew attended the scene, stabilised the patient before airlifting her to hospital.

Now, 30 years on, Midlands Air Ambulance Charity (as ‘Air 5’ is now known), has attended more than 63,000 missions and has a fleet of three helicopters and two critical care cars.