Air Ambulance Week 2022 is taking off across the UK 5 – 11 September to raise awareness of the lifesaving work of air ambulance charities across the UK. The Wales Air Ambulance Charity is celebrating with support from former Wales rugby player James Hook.

During the national awareness week, organised by Air Ambulances UK, the Wales Air Ambulance Charity will also be joining other air ambulance charities around the United Kingdom in our 2022 campaign, Critical Moments – Lifesaving Difference.

The campaign highlights how air ambulance charities such as Wales Air Ambulance make a lifesaving difference in critical moments. Anyone, anywhere in the Wales can become a patient at any time. Air ambulance crews bring the skills and expertise of a hospital to the scene of an emergency, performing complex procedures using advanced equipment and drugs that improve survival rates.

The Charity offers advanced critical care and is often described as a ‘Flying ED’. The on-board consultants and critical care practitioners are highly skilled and carry some of the most pioneering medical equipment in the world. They can deliver blood transfusions, administer anaesthesia, and undertake emergency operations at the scene of the incident, before flying the patient directly to specialist care.

The Welsh flying medics now attend over 3,000 missions a year across the country forming an important part of the emergency services across Wales making a lifesaving difference.

Each mission is funded almost entirely by the generosity of local communities. The Wales Air Ambulance celebrated its 21st anniversary on St David’s Day 2022. Since forming the Charity has attended over 43,000 missions. Now operational 24/7, the Charity needs to raise £8 million every year to keep the helicopters flying.

Dr Sue Barnes, Chief Executive of Wales Air Ambulance, said: “As well as being an opportunity to let people know about our lifesaving work, Air Ambulance Week is also an opportunity to say thank you. Thank you to those employed by the service, to our wonderful volunteers and incredible generous supporters. Each one of them makes a valuable contribution to our lifesaving aim. Quite simply, our Charity would not exist without them.”  

The Charity’s ambassador James Hook is lending his support, he said: “I’m proud to be an ambassador for the Wales Air Ambulance. It’s a cause that’s close to my heart as they attended my eldest son just over 11 years ago when he became very ill. I think it’s an amazing Charity and you don’t know how important it is until you need it.”  

Wales Air Ambulance is calling on people all over Wales to support the Charity during Air Ambulance Week 2022 to ensure it can continue to save the lives of people like Mark Kempsell, 30, whose life was saved last year following a horrific motorcycle accident. A year on from his accident, despite suffering from daily pain, Mark raised £5,000 for the Charity by climbing up Snowdon as a thank you to the Charity’s medics who saved his life.

Mark added: “Given the extent of my injuries and the location, I needed emergency treatment. Wales Air Ambulance was able to bring the hospital to me through their team of medics.

“They were able to administer treatment and transport me to hospital within a short space of time. I believe if there had been no air ambulance here, I wouldn't have survived or at least the risk of further injury would have dramatically increased.”

There are several ways that the public can continue to support the Wales Air Ambulance. These include online donations, signing up to the Charity’s Lifesaving Lottery or by coming up with their own innovative ways to fundraise at home. Further information can be found via www.walesairambulance.com. 

Alternatively, a £5 text-message donation can be made by texting the word HELI to 70711.