New crew ‘mem-bear’ joins Wiltshire Air Ambulance team
Wiltshire Air Ambulance has shared the news that its newest recruit – a female pilot bear mascot – has been in demand attending fundraising events across the county.
Wiltshire Air Ambulance has shared the news that its newest recruit – a female pilot bear mascot – has been in demand attending fundraising events across the county. The new captain has been learning from her paramedic bear crewmate Wilber, the UK-based HEMS charity’s other mascot.
The duo teamed up for the pilot mascot’s first public appearances over the weekend, at the switching on of Melksham’s Christmas lights on 2 December and at the Swindon Santa Run on 3 December, and received a great reaction from the public.
The air medical service has asked the public to suggest a name for the new mascot. Entries can be made via the Wiltshire Air Ambulance Facebook page until 12:00 hrs on 11 December. The winner will be invited to meet the mascot at the charity’s Operations Centre in Devizes.
Rebecca de la Bedoyere, senior fundraising manager at Wiltshire Air Ambulance, said: “We’re thrilled to have our new mascot join the team. Our other mascot, Wilber, has been in incredible demand ever since he first joined us in September 2016 – so much so that we were having to turn requests down.” She added: “As Wilber is a paramedic, it was the obvious choice to make our new mascot a pilot, as both roles are critical to the operation on an air ambulance service. We didn’t set out to make Wilber a male bear, but he has adapted that persona, so it made sense to have a female mascot this time, especially as our own pilot, Nicky, was the first female air ambulance pilot in the UK!”