Wales Air Ambulance Regional Fundraising Coordinator Emily Bell is appealing for volunteers to help support the lifesaving Charity in Ceredigion.
Emily who was appointed to the role this month, is on a mission to grow the team in her home county.
She said: “It is such a privilege to fundraise for Wales Air Ambulance, and I am so grateful that I am now able to do it every day as my job.
“Back in 2023 I was a mature student when both my partner Owain and I decided to create a car show in aid of the service which saved my dad’s life.
“Wheels for Wales, has grown and grown, and to date we have raised over £15,000 for the Charity.”
The 28-year-old added: “I hope that my volunteering and fundraising journey will inspire others in the region to get involved and help raise as much as they can.
“It’s such a vital service, and my family never expected to need it, but when you do, you are so grateful when they arrive.”
Emily’s father was on his way to work in May 2021 when his car was involved in a road traffic collision.
She said: “It was such a shock to receive a call saying what had happened. There was something in the road that someone else was trying to avoid and they crashed into my father.
“He suffered awful injuries, and had dislocated his hip and twisted it, his pelvis was shattered, and he had broken various bones including a few ribs and toes.”
Emily continued: “Those who have experienced what we have will understand, that when you get to the scene of an incident and see the red helicopter and clinicians working on your loved one, it’s a huge relief.
“You know they are getting the best care in the world, and everything is being done to ensure they have the best outcome possible.
“My dad was in incredible pain, and in shock, so it was extraordinary to watch the team at work, assessing his injuries, providing pain relief and helping him get through what was an awful experience.”
The Wales Air Ambulance is consultant-led, taking hospital-standard treatments to the patient and, if required, transferring them directly to the most appropriate hospital for their illness or injury.
It is delivered via a unique third sector and public sector partnership. The Wales Air Ambulance Charity relies on public donations to raise the £13 million required every year to keep the helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road.
The Emergency Medical Retrieval and Transfer Service (EMRTS) supplies highly skilled NHS consultants and critical care practitioners who work on board the Charity’s vehicles.
This advanced critical care includes the ability to administer anaesthesia, deliver blood transfusions and conduct minor operations, all at the scene of an incident.
As a pan-Wales service, its dedicated crews, regardless of where they are based, will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency lifesaving care.
Emily says, she is ‘learning something new about the service every day’.
She continued: “I think a lot of people are unaware of the capabilities of the air ambulance and that it brings the emergency department to the patient.
“That means if they are on a rural farm, on a remote walking trail, or been involved like my dad in a road traffic incident, the helicopter or rapid response vehicle will be there for them.”
She added: “I see my role as an opportunity to remind people of that, to raise awareness and encourage as many people in my community as I can to get involved.”
Dozens of fundraising events are held by the charity’s supporters in Ceredigion each year and Emily says she is looking forward to supporting them.
She said: “We are a very big county, and there are so many brilliant events happening in support of Wales Air Ambulance, but we are a small team and cannot be everywhere.
“So, I would love to add to our network of volunteers to help support all the tractor runs, county shows, farmhouse breakfasts and coffee and cake events.
“If anyone would like to be part of a wonderful organisation that is helping save lives each day across Wales, then please get in touch with me.”
She says, ‘there are a variety of roles’, with the ‘flexibility to choose the hours that suit you’ and is ‘a great way to make new friends.’
Emily added: “Our volunteers do a variety of things from bucket collections at supermarkets, presenting cheques, to doing talks in local schools and helping with fundraising events.”
