To deliver lifesaving, advanced medical care to people across Wales, whenever and wherever they need it.
Wales Air Ambulance Charity
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Who We Are
Delivering lifesaving, advanced medical care to people across Wales, whenever and wherever they need it.
Your local lifesaving Charity
The Wales Air Ambulance delivers advanced lifesaving medical care to people across Wales 24/7.
We are the only air ambulance charity, based in, and dedicated to, the people of Wales and rely entirely on your charitable donations to raise £11.2 million every year to keep the helicopters in the air and fleet of rapid response vehicles on the road.
The Charity was formed on St. David’s Day, 1 March 2001 and operates from bases across Wales. Since our inception, we have attended over 50,000 missions and are on standby to attend those suffering a life or limb-threatening injury or illness.
Our service is delivered via a unique Third Sector and Public Sector partnership. 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.
With bases across Wales, the highly skilled crew on board can carry out medical procedures which would usually only be available within a hospital setting. They can deliver blood transfusions, administer anaesthesia and undertake emergency operations at the scene of an incident, before taking the patient directly to specialist care. For the patient, this can mean hours saved in receiving the appropriate treatment when compared to standard care.
As a pan-Wales service, the dedicated crews will travel the length and breadth of the country to deliver emergency lifesaving care.
We are there for the people of Wales, whenever and wherever, they need us.
Our Mission
Our Vision
To improve the lives of patients and their families, by being a world leader in advanced time-critical care.
We can’t save lives without you
We rely solely on your charitable donations to raise £11.2 million every year to keep our helicopters in the air and rapid response vehicles on the road. Without you, we simply wouldn’t exist.
£2,900
The approximate cost of one mission (a combination of by air and by rapid response vehicle)
£1,950
The cost of just one crew helmet
£195
The cost to ‘take off’
£48
One week’s subscription to crucial flight planning software
£31
One hour of aftercare support
Our Airbases
Cardiff Heliport
We are proud to call the Welsh capital home to our fourth aircraft.
In August 2018 we took over the lease to Cardiff Heliport, in a deal struck with heliport owners Cardiff Council and the previous leaseholders. This is believed to be the first time an air ambulance charity has taken operational control of a commercial heliport.
All profits made at the Heliport will support our charitable mission and any commercial use of the site will now be helping to save lives.
In December 2021, this base became a 24-hour service, enabling us to attend the people of Wales, both day and night.
Caernarfon Airport
Located in the heart of Snowdonia is Caernarfon Airport. Since 2003, we have had a presence at the airport, but data now shows that by reconfiguring our bases, we could attend up to 3 more patients per day.
For more information on the reconfiguration click the link below.
Mid-Wales Airport, Welshpool
Located in the centre of the Severn valley is Mid-Wales Airport. Since 2005, we have operated from the airport, originally starting as a 5-day operation. A recent review into the configuration of our bases has identified that we could attend up to three more patients per day by relocating to a more central area.
For more information on the reconfiguration, click the link below.
Dafen HQ
When the service launched, we were based out of Swansea Airport. However, with the base no longer being fit for purpose, and following an airbase appeal fundraiser, the Dafen base became our first custom-built base.
The base facilitates a hangarage space for up to two aircraft, and features two buildings, one where charity staff are located and the other being the clinical area. The base enables the crew to carry out training and simulations, to further enhance their skills.
Donate today
Save lives today
Donate today
Save lives today
Your donations reunite families with their loved ones, and provides our patients with a future.
Save a life today, in less than 60 seconds.
Our Values
Trustworthy
We act with uncompromising integrity in everything that we do.
Passionate
We are heartfelt in our commitment to delivering the best possible outcomes for the people of Wales and believe in everything that we do and say.
Ambitious
We look beyond the present to deliver future value.
Responsible
We care about doing the right thing and taking ownership for our actions and our results.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make a donation?
Thank you for choosing to support Wales Air Ambulance. There are many ways you can pay in your donations, from paying over the phone, cheque, online or via BACS transfer. For more information click here.
Can donations of items and money be brought to any WAA site?
Donations can be taken to any of our shops and the Dafen Airbase. However, you cannot take items or donations to the Cardiff, Welshpool or Caernarfon base.
I want to fundraise for you – how do I go about doing this?
Thank you for choosing to support us, we would love for you to join our team of fundraisers. There are plenty of ways to get involved, from organising an event, taking part in one of our events or taking on a personal challenge. Click here for further information and to let our fundraising team know about your fundraiser so that we can support you along the way.
What times are your shops and donation centre open?
Our shops are open between 9:30am and 4:30pm Monday to Saturday, excluding Abergavenny which is also closed on a Thursday.
The donation centre in Cwmdu is open between 10:30am and 3:30pm for donation drop offs.
What items shops take?
Whilst you may no longer wish to wear the coat you bought last winter, or you no longer like your dining table, the odds are someone else will, so why not give them a new lease of life by donating them and transforming them into lifesaving funds.
There are unfortunately some items we cannot accept, a full list of these can be found here.
Do you collect donations?
We offer a free collection service for large furniture items. Find out more here.
Will you collect clothes and small items?
Sadly, we are unable to collect small items and clothes. We are however able to collect large furniture free of charge.
What do we do with our full collection box?
When you collection box is full, please complete this paying in form. Alternatively, please contact enquiries@walesairambulance or call 0300 0152 999.
Are canvassers out going door to door on behalf of the Charity in specific areas?
Yes, but only promoting the Lifesaving Lottery. Canvassers follow a strict ethical code of conduct, and it is recommended that they only knock on doors between the hours of 10am and 8pm. This is despite the fact that by law, they are allowed to knock between the hours of 9am to 9pm.
To identify our canvassers, click here.
Our fleet
Every donation you make funds our fleet. Take a closer look at our helicopters and rapid response vehicles.
Our Fleet