Can you help the Air Ambulance to lift off?

The Air Ambulance Northern Ireland Charity, which is based in Lisburn, is calling on the public to support its ‘Go Off to Lift Off’ campaign this New Year in order to keep the medical helicopter flying for another day.
By Julie-Ann Spence
Published 7th Jan 2021, 12:21 BST

Over the month of January, the local charity is asking for people to ‘go off’ a habit for a month.

Whether it is alcohol, fatty foods, ‘exercise excuses’, screen time or swear words to name a few, the charity want people to publicly commit to going off something they choose and raise sponsorship.

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Funds will help the emergency helicopter service ‘lift off’ another day to someone who is critically ill or injured.

Damien Mc Anespie (Air Ambulance NI Fundraising Manager) said: “2020 has been a very difficult year for everyone and we all hope 2021 will be the start of something more positive.

“What better way to kick-start a new year off than to set yourself a challenge that will not only benefit your body and mind but also support your local air ambulance service and possibly save a life?

“Our small charity team are the first to sign up, with five of us taking part, each going off something different - my bad habit is chocolate so it has to be that for me and a few of the team are ditching exercise excuses with one opting for 3k a day and one 10,000 steps a day.

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“We will support all those taking part with words of encouragement, digital badges to share online and let you know how your fundraising efforts are making a difference by sharing some of our real patient experiences of impact.”

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Air Ambulance NI has continued to be busy responding to trauma incidents and delivering critical pre-hospital care seven days a week.

Since it’s inception in 2017, the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) has progressed to a daily average call out rate of two per day, treating patients who find themselves in traumatic and life-threatening situations. To date the service has been tasked on over 1,881 occasions and with an operational cost of £5,500 per day. Air Ambulance NI appreciates the entire public of Northern Ireland doing what they can to support the service and charity.

If you would like to join the charity’s ‘Go Off to Lift Off’ campaign over the month of January, visit the website www.airambulanceni.org/go-off-to-lift-off to register and receive your free digital fundraising pack. Keep up to date at www.facebook.com/AirAmbulanceNorthernIreland/

Related topics:Air ambulanceLisburnAir Ambulance NINorthern Ireland