---

18th July 2018

---

Wales Air Ambulance has partnered with Aberystwyth University as their charity of the year.

Vice-Chancellor, Professor Elizabeth Treasure nominated Wales Air Ambulance as her chosen charity for the forthcoming academic year.

The announcement was made on Tuesday, July 17, during the first of this year’s graduation ceremonies at the university.

Established in 1872, Aberystwyth is a leading teaching and research university. Each year the Vice-Chancellor’s Charity of the Year appeal seeks to raise as much funding as possible for a worthy cause, and provide a fundraising focus for staff, students, and the community.

Announcing the partnership, Professor Treasure said: “Wales Air Ambulance provides a vital lifesaving service across Ceredigion and the whole of Wales, and its operation relies entirely on charitable donations. The university students and staff look forward to working with the charity over the coming year.”

Wales Air Ambulance Charity chief executive Angela Hughes said: “It’s an absolute honour for Wales Air Ambulance to be nominated as Aberystwyth University’s Vice-Chancellor’s Charity of the Year, and we look forward to working in partnership with the university to help raise vital funds for Wales’ lifesaving helicopters."

Wales Air Ambulance covers the whole of Wales every single day of the year. Each year, the four helicopters attend approximately 2,500 missions from rural countryside to bustling towns and cities. With four airbases located at Welshpool, Caernarfon, Llanelli, and Cardiff, the helicopters can be anywhere in the country within 20 minutes.

Angela added: “Last year Wales Air Ambulance crews undertook 77 missions in the Ceredigion area – around six every month. It is only through support such as this that our helicopters can keep flying and saving lives.”