Nominees for AAA Awards announced
The Association of Air Ambulances (AAA) in the UK has revealed the shortlist for this year’s Awards of Excellence.
The Association of Air Ambulances (AAA) in the UK has revealed the shortlist for this year’s Awards of Excellence. The lucky few have been whittled down by a judging panel headed up by Jim Fitzpatrick, member of parliament for Poplar and Limehouse and chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Air Ambulances.
The awards ceremony is being hosted on 14 November and will see those nominated descend on the Millennium Gloucester Hotel in London. The different award categories up for grabs help to showcase the diversity and distinction of the industry. Categories include air ambulance paramedic of the year, with Steve Garvey of Cornwall Air Ambulance, Neil Bizzell from Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, and Erica Ley from Essex and Herts Air Ambulance all nominated. The air ambulance doctor of the year category also has a strong showing, with David Stoddart from SCOTSTAR, Mark Wilson from London’s Air Ambulance and James Raitt from Thames Valley Air Ambulance all receiving a nomination for their hard work.
Thames Valley Air Ambulance has another of its staff members nominated in the air ambulance pilot of the year category, with the charity’s Dave Webber joining Richard Steele from Midlands Air Ambulance and Steven Norris in East Anglian Air Ambulance in the shortlist. The awards will also honour the air ambulance provider that ran the best campaign of the year – this year’s potential winners are Devon Air Ambulance for its ‘Make Night Time Flight Time’ campaign, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance for telling the public to ‘Be a 999 Hero’ and East Anglian Air Ambulance’s ‘Together We Save Lives’ drive.
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance, Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance, SCOTSTAR and Wales Air Ambulance have all also been honoured with a nomination due to each of their responses to specific accidents that occurred over the year. Elsewhere there are categories for the top charity volunteer, top young person, innovation of the year and a special lifetime achievement award.
Jim Fitzpatrick MP, chair of the judging panel, commented: “I know the judges found it a very difficult task to choose between some outstanding nominees, but what is clear is that each and every nominee is an exceptional individual or team, and I would like to thank all of them for their hard work, courage, determination and vision. With great difficulty, the judges narrowed down the field and we can all now look forward to the winners being announced in November.”