Great North Air Ambulance Service needs public help to stay airborne

GNAAS, which provides vital air ambulance services across the North East, North Yorkshire, Northumberland, Cumbria, Scotland and the Isle of Man, responded to 610 callouts in Cumbria over 2023 alone, marking an increase demand in for the service. 

During daylight hours, the charity delivers air ambulance services, then transitions to a rapid response vehicle at night.

In Cumbria, the all-night rapid response vehicle service in Cumbria has been expanded to four nights a week, edging the charity closer to its goals of 24/7 care throughout the whole of their region. 

Paramedic Gordon Ingram on a night shift in rapid response vehicle (Image: GNAAS)

Currently, the charity requires approximately £8.5m per year to sustain operations.

David Stockton, chief executive at GNAAS, said: “Unfortunately, these essential expansions mean that we need to raise even more funds than before to keep our live-saving service running.

"The frightening truth is that for 2024 we are predicting to run at a deficit.

"This means we will have to go into our limited reserves just to keep the charity flying this year.

“The life of a charity-funded service can be a tumultuous one, but it usually brings about the most amazing support from the general public.

“We wouldn’t be where we are today without the unwavering enthusiasm of our supporters who dream up amazing challenges to raise funds, or our past patients, who share their experiences so that we can spread our life-saving message, or our loyal volunteers who have donated more than 45,000 minutes of their time in 2023, helping to raise much-needed income and awareness.”

To find out more about the appeal and how you can support the charity visit: gna.as/fund247