Air Ambulance Week 2024 takes off
This year’s Air Ambulance Week, which runs from 9–15 September, aims to raise awareness with the theme ‘Today’s Supporter, Tomorrow’s Lifesaver’
The fundraising and awareness week, organized by charity Air Ambulances UK (AAUK), aims to put a spotlight on the vital lifesaving work of air ambulance charities, and to highlight the necessity of support from the public to continue operations.
“Today’s Supporter, Tomorrow’s Lifesaver is an important reminder of the impact each of us can make,” said Simmy Akhtar, CEO of AAUK. “Every day, air ambulance charities are collectively dispatched to over 126 lifesaving missions, and each mission is funded almost entirely by the generosity of our local communities.
“As we celebrate Air Ambulance Week 2024, we recognize the invaluable impact of the dedicated teams who bring pre-hospital emergency care to patients in their most vulnerable moments. Through your generosity, air ambulance charities continue to save lives and improve patient outcomes across the UK.”
The UK’s air ambulance charities are essentially self-funding, receiving no day-to-day government support, despite an average per-mission cost of around £4,110.
AAUK stated that there are currently a total of 37 air ambulance helicopters being operated by 21 air ambulance charities across the country. It added that to show support, you can make a donation either directly to your local air ambulance, or via the AAUK website.
AAUK also announced a fundraising partnership with the Peninsula Group earlier this year.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor at AirMed&Rescue. He was previously a News and Features Journalist for the rail magazine IRJ until 2021, and studied MA Magazine Journalism at Cardiff University. His favourite helicopter is the AW169 – the workhorse of the UK air ambulance sector! He also led the creation of Waypoint: The AirMed&Rescue podcast, serving as its Production Editor and co-host.