KSS raises £1 million to buy its helicopter
England’s Air Ambulance Charity Kent Surrey Sussex (KSS) has raised £1 million with the aim of purchasing its second helicopter outright
At present, the helicopter, based in the town of Redhill, Surrey, is leased from its current owners.
By buying the rotorcraft outright, KSS stated that it expects to save almost £500,000 per year in operating costs, as well as being able to fly for an additional six hours per day.
The money was raised over just six weeks, with more expected to be donated in the near future.
David Welch, Chief Executive at KSS, stated: “We’ve been completely overwhelmed by the remarkable response so far, and would like to thank everyone for their incredible generosity and inspiring messages of support.”
“We’re now encouraging our communities to go even further above and beyond our £1 million goal in the final few weeks of our appeal,” he continued. “Every extra penny raised will be spent on our lifesaving helicopters, which will enable us to reach more patients and save more lives.”
US-based healthcare provider Parkview Health recently acquired a new helicopter for its Samaritan air ambulance service.
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.