Biker airlifted after collision
SCAA managed to turn a two-anda-half-hour road journey into just 20 minutes by air when a young motorcyclist was injured in a road traffic collision on the Kintyre peninsula at the weekend.
SCAA flew to the scene - on the A83 between Tarbert and Campbeltown - and worked with Scottish Ambulance Service colleagues and Police Scotland before airlifting the male motorcyclist to Queen Elizabeth University Hospital at Glasgow with head and limb injuries.
SCAA was also mobilised to a serious road accident on the A9 near Dunblane, airlifting an injured woman to Ninewells Hospital at Dundee.
The crew also took to the air to transfer an injured seven-year- old and his mother from Arran to the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital at Glasgow – again turning an extremely long and uncomfortable road and ferry journey into a quick hop by air.
SCAA’s speed and comfort was also called on when a patient needed an urgent transfer from Millport to a mainland hospital at Glasgow.
Closer to home, SCAA paramedics deployed in their Rapid Response Vehicle to a medical emergency near the base. They helped at the scene before the patient was taken by ambulance to PRI.
* * * The staff at Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance joined the fundraising effort themselves by organising an Easter cake bake at their Perth Airport base. The tasty cakes and biscuits raised a mouth-watering £119.55.
Other supporters and fundraisers handing in much-appreciated donations this week include an Aberfeldy woman who organised a thrift shop for SCAA in the Highland Perthshire town for the second year running and raised a very welcome £1,397.80.
And at the other end of Loch Tay, the West Loch Tay Fishers sent SCAA a cheque for £110, saying in their card that it was “for all the good works you do everywhere”.
A Pitlochry man, who is a friend of a former SCAA patient, staged an ‘80s disco and raised £500 for the charity.
A cheque for £500 also landed at SCAA this week from a local branch of the Royal Air Force Association. And Balance Beauty Room at Pitlochry raised £72 for SCAA through a raffle at a recent fashion show in the town.
The carrier bag levy continues to bring in money for SCAA from those retailers who divert the 5ps to the airborne emergency charity. The latest quarterly donation from The Green Welly Stop at Tyndrum was for £710.
And local entertainer Eddie Rose and his wife called in at SCAA this week to present a cheque for £264 raised through a raffle staged at a recent concert in Pitlochry Town Hall.
Locally placed SCAA collecting cans emptying out their funds this week include those from: 2 Sisters Food Group, Coupar Angus (£49.80); The Co-op, Blairgowrie (£23.57); The Co-op, Bridge of Earn (£22.07); Giacopazzi, Kinross (£27.14); Murrayshall Hotel (£37.50) and About Living, Perth (£34.25).
* * * Good luck from SCAA to the pupils from Perth High School who are presenting on the charity in the Youth Philanthropy Initiative to their third year peers today (Friday). The winning presentation stands to win £3,000 for their subject charity.
* * * Have you been helped by SCAA? 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. If the charity flew to the aid of you or a loved one, they would love to hear from you. Share your story by contacting media@scaa. org.uk