Women in Wales has donated £16,000 to the Wales Air Ambulance to help transport its most vulnerable patients safely whilst providing lifesaving treatment.
The Wales Air Ambulance will be using the donation to help pay for the fixtures and fittings to enable them to install a babypod on board their aircraft, which will make a huge impact on the lives of their youngest patients.
The Charity attends on average 28 neonates per year, and in certain cases where there is a prolonged transfer to specialist care required, the babypod provides a safe and warm environment for the most vulnerable patients. Cases can be in the community at a mothers home, at a midwifery unit, or in hospitals without specialist care.
The Charity already has the vital babypods equipment which can help babies who may have been born prematurely, or they may be suffering from a medical condition that requires specialist care a long way from home.
The Wales Air Ambulance was one of the charities chosen to benefit from Women in Wales annual luncheon. The event, which was held at the Mercure Hotel, Cardiff, raised an incredible £24,000 on the day for the lifesaving Charity and Carmarthenshire Youth Project.
Guests enjoyed an exciting raffle and auction featuring some ‘truly amazing prizes, with the live auction focusing on unique experiences that money simply cannot buy’. This created a real buzz in the room and generated tremendous support for Women in Wales fundraising efforts.
On behalf of the Wales Air Ambulance Charity Emma Moore, Grants and Trust Manager, and Abi Pearce, Corporate Partnerships Manager, attended the popular event.
Women in Wales is no stranger to donating funds to the Wales Air Ambulance, in 2018 they donated £10,000.
Judith Major, Chair of Women in Wales, said: “I am incredibly honoured to serve as Chair of Women in Wales, and my heart is full of pride and gratitude for what we have achieved together. The generosity, kindness and dedication shown by the wonderful women in the room enabled us to raise an outstanding amount for our chosen charities.
“I am especially delighted that the funds raised have made it possible to purchase a much-needed piece of equipment for Wales Air Ambulance. Knowing that this equipment could play a crucial role in helping save the life of a child in crisis makes every effort worthwhile. There can be no greater reward than knowing that our support will help provide vital care to families when they need it most.
“This achievement is a testament to the power of women coming together with a shared purpose. I am deeply thankful to everyone who supported us, donated so generously and helped make this possible.
“To say I am chuffed would be putting it mildly. I am absolutely thrilled, immensely proud, and truly inspired by what we have accomplished together.”
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.
Emma Moore, Wales Air Ambulance Grants and Trust Manager said: “We were completely overwhelmed by such an incredibly generous and unexpected contribution to our Babypod Infrastructure Project.
“This £16,000 funding will make a truly profound difference. It will allow us to put in place the vital infrastructure needed to safely carry specialist equipment for our smallest and most vulnerable patients. In the worst moments this will help ensure we can give them the very best possible chance on every mission, on every helicopter.
“As a Charity, we rely entirely on donations to raise the £13 million needed each year to keep our helicopters in the air and our rapid response vehicles on the road, and we are incredibly grateful for the support of everyone involved with Women in Wales. To date Women in Wales has raised £26,000 for the Wales Air Ambulance, which is incredible. Thank you so much.”
