Press release from Great North Air Ambulance Service:
Community Investment Funding was awarded from the Nuclear Waste Services’ Geological Disposal Facility programme.
The grant will enable the charity’s critical care team to continue to provide life-saving advanced treatment to seriously ill and injured patients across the region and fly them quickly to major trauma centres.
Formation of the Mid Copeland GDF Community Partnership has given access to £1 million Community Investment Funding a year from the GDF programme as discussions progress around what a facility could mean locally. The search area includes the electoral ward of Gosforth.
More than £4.5million has been awarded by the Community Partnership to date to a variety of local projects and delivered lasting benefits for residents, community groups and local communities.
Based on average mission costs when responding by helicopter, the £99,634 investment from Mid Copeland GDF Partnership will help fund 16 missions in the Mid Copeland area, which includes the specialist medical equipment, the clinical team on board, medications, fuel and operational running costs.
Natasha Banks, Senior Corporate Relationship Manager at GNAAS, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Mid Copeland GDF Community Partnership for its generous donation of £99,634, which will help fund the delivery of 16 life-saving missions across Mid Copeland.”
“We are proud to work alongside an organisation that recognises the importance of investing in the health and wellbeing of our local communities.”
“This funding will make a tangible difference, helping ensure our critical care team can reach seriously ill and injured patients and deliver life-saving care when every second counts.”
GNAAS are 100 per cent reliant on charitable donations and need to raise a minimum of £9.6m a year to remain operational across Cumbria, the North East, North Yorkshire, and the Isle of Man.
In addition to the grant, Mid Copeland GDF Community Partnership also organised a charity golf day in Seascale which raised over £4,000 for GNAAS last month.
Over 140 golfers took part in the Texas Scramble competition at Seascale Golf Club and all entry fees were donated to the life-saving charity.
Andy Pratt, Partnership Chair, said: “We are delighted to award funding to this life-saving service. We are a rural area and this critical team is vital to the people living in our area to access emergency care.
“Thank you to everyone who attended the fundraising day including the GNAAS team and Seascale Golf Club for hosting, being able to highlight this charity and raise funds for such a worthy cause has been very positive experience.”
