Air Ambulance in need of support

I can’t understand with blundering Boris pledging millions like there’s no tomorrow, together with commercial business and sports sponsorship, that the wonderful Great North Air Ambulance still has to try and survive as a charity.

Prince William highlighted the plight of air ambulances across the country when he recently did such wonderful work on board, and handled several unsavoury situations.

Now the GNAAS is asking supporters to dig deep again as a further £310,000 is needed to provide a 24-hour hour service seven days a week.

Clinicians, paramedics, pilots etc, are working flat out, and often saving lives or getting severely injured people with a super speedy service direct to the nearest hospital.

We have a government seemingly squandering or blowing billions, yet a brilliant

life-saving organisation needs begging-bowls, flags, stickers and collection tins to keep its head above water – or in the air.

Surely this is a classic case of cart before the horse? The GNAAS say they can only provide a night time service four times a week, including Saturday and Sunday, and they responded to 500 callouts last year.

It’s a pressing problem which immediately requires a sensible solution – namely just a single million pounds quickly released from vaults in the Bank of England.

Even £500,000 could be a step in the right direction enabling cover day and night.

Unbelievably, the recently released 24/7 Critical Care Team needs Garden Parties, Whist Drives, Women’s Institutes, Flag Days etc and Joe public to dig deep for further funding.

I know one person who dug deep into his Will, and was only too willing to help the living.

In the short term, until there’s common sense - not normally in a Downing Street dictionary – I hope everyone will rattle GNAAS tins and keep the flights afloat.

I’m not in favour of nationalisation, but I would favour it for the North East Air Ambulance and their compatriots throughout the country.

Nevermind from the grateful recipients, the GNAAS needs rescuing itself!

CHRIS ROBINSON, Gosforth