GNAAS moving to new base

UK-based charity the Great North Air Ambulance Service has plans to move to a new base at Urlay Nook in Eaglescliff. It is anticipated that the move will lead to rent savings alone of £120,000 so sounds like a sensible decision. The new facility that will house the service is currently being worked on and all helicopters, the clinical team and charity staff will be relocated to the new site when the project is complete.

Plans for the project began in 2016 and planning permission was granted last year. The site, which used to house the former Elementis works, has been unoccupied since Elementis stopped work there in 2009. Financing for the project, which was forecast to cost £3.9 million, came from a combination of fundraising, reserves, additional borrowing and grants from the Government.

GNAAS Chief Executive Grahame Pickering MBE highlighted some of the benefits of the move. “We are already well known for the exceptional level of care we provide, but this will give us the foundation on which to improve even further. As well as accommodating our aircrew and charity staff, the centre will provide education and training for the growing number of medical professionals in the UK and overseas wishing to improve upon their own skills and knowledge in this relatively new speciality,” he said. “Through training others and developing our own service, we will save more lives in our area and beyond. Additionally, the revenue it generates will be spent on improving our front-line care even further.”