‘Help us raise £1m to save more lives’

The Air Ambulance Charity Kent, Surrey and Sussex (KSS) is urgently trying to buy its second helicopter to secure the future of the service. Until now it has hired the aircraft, but at the end of last year it found out its aviation partner was going to be sold and potentially fall into administration.

This meant there could be a significant price increase in the cost of running the helicopter.

KSS is now looking to purchase it instead of leasing it, which will save the charity about half a million pounds a year and allow it to fly for an extra six hours a day and in more challenging weather conditions.

The life-saving charity already owns one air ambulance, which is available 24 hours a day, but the second can only operate for 12 hours. If it can be bought, it will be available for 18 hours a day, meaning more patients can be reached and more lives could be saved across the county.

Chief executive of KSS, David Welch, said: “Demand for our service has been growing year-on-year and has never been greater.

“We must continue to respond to the growing needs, now and into the future. “What we can do with our helicopters and our experienced team of doctors and paramedics is the most important thing; it is getting the emergency room to the patient as quickly as we can being able to provide that equivalent to in-hospital treatment at the roadside, on the beach, in the park, wherever the patient is that needs us.

“The helicopter is a lifeline and this organisation helps every day to save lives. The number of people we help and the families we help keep together is incredible.” Warren Porritt, from Howland Road, Marden, was just one patient whose life was saved by the air ambulance crews after he was involved in a crash on Father’s Day in 2016.

He went out for a quick ride on his Vespa but did not return home for another 12 weeks after he was involved in a head-on collision on a blind bend.

Now 54 years old, he said: “I was told I had literally seconds to minutes to live after the air ambulance arrived at the scene.

“Their intervention saved my life - stabilising me and getting me breathing again. Without them, I would not be here today. It is critical this service continues.” However, KSS only has until the end of May to secure the second aircraft which is set to cost £1 million.

To reach its goal, it has launched an urgent appeal known as Buy it for Life to help raise the final funds needed and supporters also have the unique opportunity to have their names on the helicopter.

Anyone who donates £100 or more can have their name, the name of a family member or friend, community group, team or business placed onto the helicopter.

Donate or find out more about the appeal at aakss.org.uk/helicopter

‘Without the Air Ambulance, I would not be here today. It’s really critical that the service continues’

Warren Porritt of Marden with paramedic Stu Plumbley of KSS Air Ambulance KSS is a life-saving charity covering Kent, Surrey and Sussex and is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. When it receives a life-ordeath call, it brings specialised doctors, paramedics and treatments usually provided in a hospital room such as blood transfusions or anaesthetic to the scene. It was the first 24/7 helicopter emergency medical service in the UK when it started in 1989.