Anglia Lift Off issue 45 Winter 2016 by East Anglian Air Ambulance

LiftOff Anglia

Issue 45 Winter 2016

CYCLING IN THE SPOTLIGHT FOR MEDICS AND FUNDRAISERS

RECOVERING Jess makes progress after crash Page 4

WALK THE DOG Hounds raise pounds Page 17

Playing EAAA Lottery for 7 months buys a blizzard blanket to keep patients

LUCKY WINNERS Have you won a lottery prize? Page 22

warm...

Together we save lives

Charity No. 1083876

Anglia

LiftOff ISSUE 45 WINTER 2016

Contents Biker plans New Year fundraiser

EAAA nominated for top awards 6 Missions flown

Clinician studies cycle safety

Cyclists raise thousands

Volunteering opportunities

Best paws forward

National Air Ambulance Week

Latest Lottery news

Are you brave enough?

Val’s skydive at 70

Firm launches Wills Month

Your regional fundraiser: North Cambridgeshire/West Norfolk – Chris Donaldson 94 Culley Court, Orton Southgate, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE2 6WA 01733 367208 / christopher.donaldson@eaaa.org.uk South Cambridgeshire/ West Suffolk – Barbara McGee Melbourn Science Park, Cambridge Road, Melbourn SG8 6EE 01763 262697 / barbara.mcgee@eaaa.org.uk Suffolk – Sophie Mathew 9 Alpha Business Park, White House Road, Ipswich IP1 5LT 01473 745007 / sophie.mathew@eaaa.org.uk Norfolk – Holly Lambert Hangar E, Gambling Close, Norwich Airport, Norwich NR6 6EG 01603 489406 / holly.lambert@eaaa.org.uk Bedfordshire – Kay Marter Unit 1 Water End Barns, Eversholt, Nr Woburn, Bedfordshire MK17 9EA 01525 718517 / kay.marter@eaaa.org.uk General enquiries: 0845 066 9999 Website: eaaa.org.uk Email: info@eaaa.org.uk Lottery: lottery@eaaa.org.uk

Welcome As 2016 draws to a close we’re delighted to be able to look back on a year of so many achievements – none of which would have been possible without the support we receive from so many in this region. If you are reading this issue of Anglia Lift Off as one of those supporters – thank you. You are enabling lives to be saved across our four counties and sometimes further afield and for medical help to reach people when they most critically need it. OUR BUSIEST EVER MONTH The key achievements we have made in 2016 include our second H145 aircraft, which flies under the call sign Anglia One, going into service in March. Based at Norwich Airport this complements our similar helicopter that flies from Cambridge, both offering a state of the art air ambulance service. We’ve also been able to have Critical Care Paramedic cover with a rapid response vehicle available after our flying hours. Together these

Charity number: 1083876 Editor: Advertising: Design: Print:

Clare Phillips liftoff@eaaa.org.uk Marina Jacobs 07727 749208 barberjackson.com barnwellprint.co.uk

EAAA.ORG.UK

CBP0005650411160530

By using Carbon Balanced Paper through the World Land Trust on this publication we have offset 4634kg of Carbon & preserved 389sqm of critically threatened tropical forests.

Carbon Balanced Paper. One of the most sustainable forms of communication that will reduce your carbon foot print and promote CSR. www.carbonbalancedpaper.com

Cover picture: Lap of Anglia by Paul Tibbs (see page 12)

Of course none of this would be possible without the wonderful fundraising efforts of so many people

skilled clinicians and enhanced resources have seen our busiest ever month in September this year when we were tasked to 235 missions. Details of some of our most recent missions can be found on page 8. FANTASTIC FUNDRAISING Of course none of this would be possible without the wonderful fundraising efforts of so many people. We have had some great supporter achievements ourselves in 2016 and one which many certainly rated as the most fun was our inaugural obstacle course challenge Only The Brave. Held at Elveden in March some 1,300 participants were not only brave but they helped raise over £100,000 too. This year we’re doing it all over again – but over two days so we’re looking forward to meeting twice as many brave people and having twice as much fun. We hope it will also mean funding to save twice as many lives as the first event helped. Find out more and the many ways in which to get involved – not all of them requiring you to overcome mud, sweat or fears – on page 26.

SEASON OF GOODWILL Once again we were overwhelmed this year with the demand for our Christmas cards – in this digital age this is still a very important area of fundraising for us. So whether you have bought and sent our cards, or you have chosen to make a donation to us in lieu of sending cards we very much appreciate it. LAST MINUTE PRESENT IDEA And if you are reading this in the days before Christmas and you are stuck for a last minute present idea for someone have you thought about giving them membership of our weekly lottery or perhaps a bundle of our charity scratch cards? Not only will your gift be enabling lives to be saved, but the recipient could win a prize of £1,000 or even more in our accumulator draw. Full details of how to do this are on page 24. All of us at EAAA thank you for taking the trouble to read Anglia Lift Off and for your support of our work during 2016. We hope that 2017 brings you much to look forward to. Together we save lives. Jo Dew Director of Fundraising

VISIT OUR NEW ONLINE SHOP

Motorcyclist plans fundraiser to say thank you

When Jessica and Carl Boyden became parents for the first time to son Henry the couple, who are both keen motorcyclists, decided that they would never both be on the same motorbike at the same time. Although they are always mindful of safety and wear full protective equipment, the significance of that decision was brought home to them one day last May, which nearly cost 27-year-old Jess her life. The couple, from Peterborough, were looking forward to the wedding a few days later, of close friends Paul and Jayne. One of the pre-wedding tasks was to take the couple’s cake to the Isle of Wight where the wedding was to be held. Bridegroom Paul was going by motorbike and Jess went along to assist, while Jayne stayed behind to help Carl with 18-monthold Henry. Waiting to see what the weather looked like for such a long day out, Jess only decided that morning that she would make the journey, riding pillion on Paul’s bike. They set off early and delivered the cake safely for the big day, before taking a look at the island then catching the ferry for the journey home. They’d completed most of their journey as they approached the Black Cat Roundabout on the A1 near Bedford and knew that home was in their sights.

EAAA.ORG.UK

Jess said: “I can remember everything about the day right up to just before we went into an S bend, but I’ve been told that after that the bike hit the central reservation and I was flung off. I hit the chevron signs then went partially down the embankment. I had multiple injuries including a fractured spine, shattered pelvis, both legs were broken and my wrist was shattered.” The night time crew of Anglia Two flew to the scene from Cambridge in a matter of minutes and together with other emergency service colleagues worked to treat Jess’s injuries at the roadside before the EAAA clinicians Dr Sarah McNeilly and Critical Care Paramedic Chris Neil accompanied her to hospital by road. Jess was taken to Addenbrooke’s where she spent two and a half weeks in intensive care and underwent various operations. She said: “The doctors have told me I am very lucky to be here, and that my crash helmet undoubtedly saved my life along with the excellent medical care I received at the scene. Even so, they said it was touch and go on the operating table at times.” When she initially regained consciousness, almost the first thing Jess said was ‘I am never getting on a motorbike again.’ Once she was well enough she was transferred to hospital in Peterborough, eventually being sent home around two months after the crash. The family lived with relatives while Jess was unable to walk, but

at the end of October although still using a wheelchair they were able to move into a bungalow. Jess is expected to make a full recovery and is already planning a fundraising event for EAAA in the New Year. Even while unable to walk she’s been determined to do as much as she can, especially where toddler Henry is concerned. She said: “I still want to live life to the full and not make excuses that I can’t do something. I’m determined to remain positive and achieve as much as I can – and that way I’ll recover more quickly.” Jess is appealing to companies in the Peterborough area who may consider donating a raffle prize to help her fundraising such as vouchers for tickets, beauty treatments or meals. Anyone who can help should please contact our Peterborough office on 01733 367208.

“my crash helmet undoubtedly saved my life along with the excellent medical care I received at the scene”

VISIT OUR NEW ONLINE SHOP

EAAA nominated for prestigious awards As Anglia Lift Off went to press EAAA was looking forward to the prestigious Air Ambulance Awards for Excellence which were taking place in November. The charity had been shortlisted in three categories. Captain Steve Norris (pictured) was nominated for Air Ambulance Pilot of the Year, our recruitment campaign Together We Save Lives was nominated in the Campaign of the Year category and Norfolk volunteer Jamie Edghill was in the running for Charity Volunteer of the Year. EAAA Chief Executive Patrick Peal said: “It’s testimony to how hard our teams work that we have been shortlisted in three separate categories for the Air Ambulance Awards.” News of the winners from the awards ceremony was due to be published on our website and social media outlets. Also taking place in November were the Health Business Awards. These recognise examples of excellence in the NHS and celebrate the significant contributions made by organisations and individuals working inside and alongside the health service. Having been the winner of the Air Ambulance Service Award here in 2015 we were delighted to hear that EAAA was on the shortlist again for the 2016 award.

EAAA.ORG.UK

Meanwhile Critical Care Paramedic Ben Caine was recently given a commendation at the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust awards service. Ben was commended for his professionalism during a difficult and potentially dangerous job in Norfolk.

CPR-athons teach lifesaving skills Hundreds of people have been taught lifesaving CPR skills at a series of events in the region thanks to teams from EAAA and other emergency services.

Social media highlights

Ambulance staff, Community First Responders, Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue staff and other volunteers took part in the sessions that have been held at The Mall in Luton, Ipswich Town Football Club and Queensgate Shopping Centre in Peterborough.

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for regular postings about news, events and pictures. Find us on Facebook as East Anglian Air Ambulance Charity and on Twitter as @EastAngliAirAmb.

At the Luton event the youngster participant was around three years old. Area Fundraising Manager Kay Marter said: “It’s great to see that so many people are interested in learning this life skill, being brave enough to take on this responsibility should someone need to help.”

Bystander CPR can increase the survival rate of a cardiac arrest victim by 60%

We also have Facebook and Twitter pages for each of the four counties we cover, regularly sharing their content and we’re on YouTube and Pinterest too. Here’s what people have been talking about recently: Andy Congdon A great surprise through the post yesterday wishing me good luck for a tough mudder today. An amazing charity who helped me in my hour of need, they will always have a big place in my heart

Even Ipswich Town’s mascot learned how to perform CPR

Cath Edge Always sends a shiver when I see @EastAngliAirAmb landing. Hope that everyone is all right. #savinglivestogether Emma Kelcher A big thank you to Jack for attending our AGM last night to receive our cheque for £1,250 this was raised through several events throughout the year by the club members at Soham YFC Suffolk YFC Massive well done to Gipping Valley for a huge donation to the @EastAngliAirAmb Deborah Leitch Just a small contribution to a fantastic charity. Our family would be one special man less without you. Callum Paddy Signed up to be an East Anglian Air Ambulance charity volunteer today. Proud to support this amazing service.

VISIT OUR NEW ONLINE SHOP

Recent Missions Read about our missions and view the mission map at eaaa.org.uk These pages show a snapshot of the incidents we attend.

Taken a picture of Anglia One or Anglia Two?

We could feature it here – send it to liftoff@eaaa.org.uk

Facts and figures since our last issue In our last issue we reported that we had flown more than missions in a single month for the first time ever – but we have continued to do that during July, August and September. In total, the two helicopters and rapid response vehicles have been tasked times. We flew missions after dark during this time – a significant increase on the same time the previous year. A total of patients were treated by the crews from Anglia One and by Anglia Two’s medical team. patients were airlifted to hospital from these emergencies and of the others, the vast majority went to hospital by road with the EAAA clinicians travelling with them. We treated more patients for injuries sustained in a traffic collision during these three months than for any other type of incident.

200

641

185

231 123

(159)

(150)

EAAA.ORG.UK

Anglia Two was called to a patient who had collapsed at Stansted Airport. The woman was treated at the scene and the EAAA medics then accompanied her to hospital by road. Meanwhile our crew expressed their appreciation to the airport staff who assisted them at the busy terminal. A schoolgirl was flown to Addenbrooke’s Hospital by the crew of Anglia One after she suffered a medical emergency. The clinicians anaesthetised her at the scene of the incident in Beccles, Suffolk and gave specialist pre-hospital medical care. Anglia Two flew to the aid of a man who had suffered a serious hand injury in Bedfordshire. After treatment he was flown to a specialist unit for plastic surgery.

Anglia Two was tasked to Luton where a man in his forties had suffered serious injuries in a fall from height. He was given a general anaesthetic at the scene and flown to the Royal London Hospital with a high level of A&E care from the EAAA crew. Flying a patient to the Royal London Hospital meant our pilots had a chance to take some photographs of our aircraft against the London skyline. Captain Chris Sherriff took this picture of Anglia Two after a woman who had been involved in a road collision was flown there for treatment.

A man in his seventies who had suffered very serious burns was initially flown to hospital in Norwich by Anglia One. He was then transferred by air to the specialist burns unit in Chelmsford. An elderly man suffered a fall on the North Norfolk coast. Anglia One flew to the scene and the crew were given considerable assistance by the coastguard before they airlifted the patient to hospital. The night time crew aboard Anglia Two were flown to the scene of a house fire in Suffolk. An elderly woman was treated at the scene for breathing in smoke and the EAAA clinicians accompanied her to hospital by road. Five people were injured in a road collision in Norfolk. The crew of Anglia One treated a woman who was the most seriously hurt and travelled with her to hospital by road.

A motorcyclist in his thirties suffered serious injuries in a collision in Norfolk. He was attended by the crew aboard Anglia One who then airlifted him to hospital in Norwich.

EAAA pilot Captain Chris Sherriff took this picture of Anglia Two while the crew were attending to a man who had been injured during a cycling event in Hertfordshire. He was accompanied to hospital by the EAAA clinicians in a land ambulance.

The night time crew of Anglia Two flew to Bedford to a patient who had fallen down stairs. The man was anaesthetised at the scene and given specialist pre-hospital emergency care before being flown to Addenbrookeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Hospital.

VISIT OUR NEW ONLINE SHOP

Delivering Excellence New research has shown that cyclists who wear helmets reduce the risk of a serious head injury by almost 70%. The same study has shown that cyclists who wear helmets also considerably reduce their risk of a fatal head injury. The study was published recently by two Australian researchers who looked at data from over 64,000 injured cyclists. It prompted a special presentation on cycle safety to EAAA clinicians and their colleagues from across the region at the regular Clinical Governance day hosted by EAAA. This is an educational meeting where the medical teams can learn about advances in treatment or research and review cases that they and their colleagues have attended.

EAAA.ORG.UK

Neil Flowers, ramedic Critical Care Pa

Critical Care Paramedic (CCP) Neil Flowers gave a detailed presentation based on this latest research. It’s a subject close to his heart as he, his wife and two children all enjoy cycling – and of course take safety and the wearing of helmets very seriously. Neil said: “The new research was very interesting to read because I think some people do still question how effective a cycle helmet is in a collision or a fall. This study shows that it does reduce the risk for the most serious head injuries. It also showed that there is a smaller chance of receiving an injury to the face, although wearing a helmet has made little difference when suffering a neck injury. “I asked those present how many would always wear a helmet when cycling and I hope that as a result of the presentation the few that said they didn’t, will now change their minds.” As well as talking about the findings of the study Neil also presented to clinicians a case review of the treatment of a teenage cyclist who had been seriously injured in a collision with a car. It was attended by himself and colleague Dr Jeremy Mauger who had driven to the incident in Norfolk as it was in the evening when Anglia One was off-line, but their colleagues

The cyclist, who hadn’t been wearing a cycle helmet, had suffered a traumatic brain injury after hitting his head in the collision

aboard Anglia Two, which is capable of flying at night, also attended to airlift the casualty to Addenbrooke’s Hospital for specialist treatment. Neil explained how the 999 call first came in from a member of the public who had arrived on the scene to find the cyclist lying in the road. An off-duty paramedic and a nurse also stopped to help and Neil and Jeremy arrived soon after the ambulance service paramedic. They were able to give a higher level of care, including anaesthetising the casualty at the roadside and preparing him for the flight to hospital.

The cyclist, who hadn’t been wearing a cycle helmet, had suffered a traumatic brain injury after hitting his head in the collision. The Anglia Two crew of Dr Akos Soti and CCP Rob Riches were able to continue giving specialist pre-hospital emergency care during the flight to hospital. Because of the way the emergency teams all worked together the patient was at Addenbrooke’s and undergoing further care approximately an hour and a half from when the 999 call was first picked up. To drive to Addenbrooke’s from the scene of the incident would have taken about an hour alone. Neil said; “It’s incidents like this where having advanced pre-hospital emergency care available and the ability to transfer quickly to a specialist hospital can really make a difference between life and death. This young man was very seriously injured and although at the time of my presentation he was still needing a high level of care in hospital, he was making progress and I hope he will continue to do so.”

VISIT OUR NEW ONLINE SHOP

Charitable Cyclists EAAA very much appreciates the support we receive from the cycling community, who in turn recognise the importance of our service to them. Many people choose cycling challenges as a way of raising funds for EAAA, which range from the collection at a Cambridge Cycling Club event which raised £100 to some of the incredible personal challenges our supporters have undertaken, featured on these pages. It’s described as the World’s hardest mountain bike race but EAAA supporter Alastair Langdon from Cambridgeshire completed it and raised over £1,800 at the same time. Ironbike was held in the Italian Alps in July and involves a race of 700km over seven days. Almost daily the severity of the terrain requires competitors to carry their bike for up to a couple of hours at a time and the total ascent over the week was well over 26,000m.

EAAA.ORG.UK

Pedal power Cyclists from across the region have also been raising funds for us at a variety of events. Haulage company Turners (Soham) Ltd have been great supporters of EAAA and in August a team of employees cycled from Soham to Southwold on the Suffolk coast – a total of 74 miles which raised over £2,350. A cycling challenge in Suffolk that has supported EAAA for over 15 years is the Beccles Cycle for Life. It’s organised by the Rotary Club of Beccles and this year they raised their highest total ever of £5,400, with their second highest ever number of participants who came from as far as Birmingham and Brighton. EAAA colleagues Dr Pam Chrispin and Norfolk Area Fundraising Manager Holly Lambert also took part completing 50 miles each. Diss in Norfolk has played host to two recent cycling fundraisers. The inaugural Diss Cyclathon was a huge success with hundreds of cyclists tackling routes of different lengths. The organisers (pictured) recently visited Norwich Airport to present more than £1,700 and discuss next year’s event which hopes to raise even more. Meanwhile regulars from The Saracen’s Head in Diss undertook their own cycling challenge of 25 miles after which the pub hosted a barbecue to celebrate their achievements. They raised over £2,800.

Cover Story

Lap of Anglia is another triumph A group of more than 50 cyclists took part in the gruelling 400 mile Adrian Flux Lap of Anglia this summer, cycling around the border of Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, raising thousands of pounds for EAAA. Started in 2013 by Damien Cross the event has grown every year, this year raising in excess of £25,000, their best total ever. This year the riders all showed incredible determination with muscle cramps and broken bicycles failing to stop these dedicated cyclists. There was even an emergency 50 mile round trip made during the event to collect a spare bicycle. Lead event sponsor Adrian Flux also provided insurance for the two support vehicles kindly donated by Robinsons Volkswagen in Norwich with some of their staff taking part too. Other event sponsors included Sign Express Norwich, The Big Prawn and Fruit Bowl.

EAAA Area Fundraising Manager for North Cambridgeshire and West Norfolk, Chris Donaldson said: “This is always such a spectacularly run event thanks to Damien and always brings out the best in people. I’m humbled by the lengths that people go to in order to raise money for us.” Event Organiser Damien Cross added: “Every year the Lap of Anglia gets better. This fourth year is the largest so far and shows just how much effort people are willing to put in to help others. These cyclists will never meet the people who need the helicopters, so to do this for people they’ll never meet just speaks volumes about the great attitude every Lapper has. They are an inspiration. I’m very proud to have offered them an opportunity to shine.”

VDonate I S I T O U£5 R N E W Heli O N L Ito N E 70500 SHOP Text

Make a Difference We work with volunteers of all ages and from all walks of life at EAAA. If you are interested in volunteering with us we’re almost sure to have a role you will enjoy. Volunteering can be something you do in your spare time when it suits you or as part of an organised activity such as through your place of work or another recognised scheme. In this issue we look at one of the groups that has been very supportive of EAAA.

W e’ ve met so me in cr ed ib le y ou ng st er s in re ce nt y ears w ho have been taki ng part in t he NCS scheme...

VOLUNTEER FOCUS:

NCS stands for National Citizen Service and since it started around seven years ago, more than 275,000 teenagers have taken part. The scheme is open to those aged between 15 and 17 and helps them develop life skills during the four week project. They also run a social action initiative in which they raise money for local charities. Our Bedfordshire fundraising team are no strangers to NCS. Fundraising Manager Kay Marter said: “We have had several groups of teenagers that have decided to help us through the NCS programme, but none as keen and pro-active as the Purple Team that helped us this year. They created a

EAAA.ORG.UK

completely new event in their ‘Multicultural Food Evening’ which was such a big hit that they sold stalls at the event to other NCS teams. They also managed to find some time to help us at one of the fêtes that we had been asked to go to. Their fundraising total is over £300 and will most likely exceed £400 once money from a 12 hour sponsored write-athon comes through.” Another two groups in Cambridgeshire also supported EAAA. They raised almost £1,800 by activities which included bag packing, street collections, cake sales and online donations.

Can you help? If you’d like to get more involved with something as a volunteer in 2017 then we have opportunities to suit all ages and abilities. Whether you want a regular commitment at the same time every week, something that you can do at times that suit you or simply helping at a one off event to start with, here are some of the roles we currently have available:

CAMBRIDGESHIRE:

NORFOLK:

Our South Cambridgeshire fundraising team has a need for volunteers to help with some specific events as well as someone who could spend one day a week in the office co-ordinating volunteer help for our many fundraising events. This would be an ideal role for someone looking to return to work and seeking experience of an office environment.

We’re looking for someone who can help us with our collection boxes in the King’s Lynn area. You will need your own transport (for which we can pay expenses) and will be responsible for putting out new collection boxes as well as emptying existing ones, counting and banking the money. It involves a few hours a month and you will be closely supported by a full time member of staff.

We also need help during December when we will be assisting Christmas shoppers by packing their shopping in the Cambridge branch of Marks and Spencer. If you can spare a couple of hours to help us we’d be delighted to have you on board. And in the New Year branches of Tesco in the Cambridge area have kindly agreed to us holding store collections with them. Again anyone who can give a day or even just a few hours to help – perhaps before doing their weekly shop – would be most welcome. The dates are: Friday January 13 – Bar Hill Saturday January 28 – Fulbourn Saturday February 25 - Milton

SUFFOLK: Our Suffolk fundraising team has all sorts of volunteer roles available. As well as some volunteer help in our office on the outskirts of Ipswich we also need people who can give talks or help at events or with collection boxes in their own locality. If you can offer some spare time for any of these roles or would like to find out more about helping us please email volunteer@eaaa.org.uk or contact your local fundraising office (see page 2). Current volunteering opportunities also feature on our website.

VISIT OUR NEW ONLINE SHOP

Fabulous Fundraising events enable our two air ambulance crews to continue saving lives. If you’d like to get involved please visit www.eaaa.org.uk or contact your local office (see page 2).

FUNDRAISING Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, pictured here visiting the EAAA stand at last year’s Sandringham Flower Show, recently met some of our hardworking EAAA volunteers at a presentation of a donation of £3,900 from the Royal Association of Sandringham Warrant Holders. The money was raised from the raffle held at the annual flower show. We were delighted and very honoured to hear that the incoming President has decided to support us next year as well.

Our friends at La Hogue Farm Shop near Newmarket and veterinary practice Swayne and Partners in the town joined forces to hold a fundraising dog show for EAAA. The colourful occasion saw dogs of all shapes and sizes enjoying classes including Fancy Dress, scurry and agility. The day raised more than £500.

The annual Isleham Horse Trials made a record donation to charity from the 2016 event. They very kindly supported EAAA again and gave £10,000. It takes the total raised for EAAA from this event over the years to over £32,000. We were delighted that among the competitors this year was event rider Boffie Brown, a former patient and avid supporter of the charity.

EAAA.ORG.UK

Picture by Detheo Photography

Thank you ...

EAAA’s Sapphire Ball was held at The Cambridge Belfry, Cambourne, in September and raised over £2,100. A massive thank you to The Technology Partnership for sponsoring the band ‘Woo and the Fuel’, Marshalls of Cambridge for sponsoring the drinks reception, Sweet Romance Events for providing the table chair covers and all the local business for providing excellent prizes for the raffle, which all contributed to a hugely successful evening. The Moller Centre in Cambridge gave EAAA a year of support which included staff volunteering at street collections and bag packing as well as activities such as quizzes and a race night. Their efforts have raised more than £4,100. Our second charity dog walk Paws With A Cause was another great success. More than 70 dogs were registered to walk around the stunning grounds of Glemham Hall in Suffolk, in areas not usually open to the public. As well as the walk there was dog agility or the chance to have your pet’s photograph taken too. Around £1,300 had been raised at the time we went to print with more still coming in.

Supporter Dorothy Church-Speight, who lives near Framlingham, Suffolk, has raised more than £10,000 in memory of her two sons who tragically lost their lives in a motorbike accident. We very much appreciate this wonderful tribute. Roys of Wroxham supported us for the first year of the compulsory carrier bag charge and have raised in excess of £31,000. Neville Funeral Directors in Ampthill held an open day and invited EAAA to take part, helping us raise £275. Another fantastic gift fair was held at Milsoms Kesgrave Hall over two days. Our thanks go to the committee who put so much work into it. Binham Aero Modellers have been supporting EAAA since 2009 and their events this year have brought their total raised to more than £16,000. Stepping Stones charity in Norwich chose to support EAAA this year and have raised nearly £600. Once again we are very grateful to the Lacey Family who chose to support EAAA at their annual Charity Luncheon and generously donated £7,000. The open gardens event at West Runton, Norfolk, had its best ever year raising a fantastic total in excess of £2,000. Cambridgeshire Gun Dog Club chose EAAA as their charity of the year and have donated more than £4,000. The Hevingham Music Festival, organised by Karen Roberts, raised the fantastic sum of £5,000.

Picture by Charmian Berry

VISIT OUR NEW ONLINE SHOP

Events 10+11

[Sat&Sun]

December Winter in the Woods

Kelling Heath Holiday Park, Norfolk This holiday park near Holt has made EAAA its charity of the year and will be holding a special event with an Elf Trail through a winter-themed woodland and a chance to meet Santa Claus. Enjoy the carol singers, a mince pie and even meet Rudolph. Tickets £8.50 for children (includes a present from Father Christmas) and £4 for adults.

17-24 The Mall [Sat-Sat]

Luton

Visit The Mall in Luton between these dates and have your purchases packed or gift wrapped by a team of EAAA volunteers including staff from corporate sponsor Allianz. Donations will all go towards our lifesaving service. And while you’re waiting for your presents to be wrapped enjoy music from the choirs who’ll be joining us.

[Sunday]

Christmas Day Charity Swim Southwold

[Tuesday]

Victorian Christmas by Candlelight Cambridge

Great St Mary’s Church in Cambridge is the venue for what promises to be a wonderful start to the festive season with the New Cambridge Singers. Many of our Christmas traditions began in Victorian times and this evening, atmospherically lit by candles, will have music from that period as well as carols for all to sing. Mulled wine will be served during the interval and the evening will be raising funds for EAAA. Tickets are £15 and can be booked at www.cambridgelivetrust.co.uk/tickets.

EAAA.ORG.UK

EAAA is one of the charities to benefit from this year’s event from Southwold Beach near Gun Hill. It’s organised by the Rotary Club of Southwold and District with whom all swimmers must register in order to take part. Visit www.southwoldrotary.co.uk for more information.

January

Norwich 28 [Saturday] Airport Travel Show

Save the dates MAY

[Saturday]

Norwich We’ll be taking part in this travel trade event at Norwich Airport, home of Anglia One, between 10am and 2pm. Come and find out more about the work of EAAA with the team on our stall, and you might even win a prize. Plus of course the show will feature holiday providers and airlines, many of whom will be offering special deals and discounts at the event.

Spring may be some way off but tickets are bound to sell fast for our Spring Swing Ball in King’s Lynn on Saturday May 13.

The event takes place at Knights Hill Hotel and Spa, a venue which has been a tremendous supporter of EAAA. Tickets are £45 each or a table of ten may be purchased for £400. There are also sponsorship opportunities available for the evening including corporate table sponsorship for £50. Please contact our Peterborough fundraising team (see page 2) for more information.

And another eagerly anticipated event in the summer is the EAAA [Sat-Sun] Norfolk Polo Festival, which in 2017 will take place on July 8 and 9. EAAA will be running the VIP tent this summer and bookings will open at www.norfolkpolo.co.uk in the New Year. JULY

8-9

Picture by Michael Lyons

Planning a fundraising event? Call your local fundraising team (see page 2) for support and find a list of events at www.eaaa.org.uk/events

Also look out during the summer and autumn of 2017 for events as part of the charity festival Cambridge Roar. We are delighted to have been chosen as one of the charities to be supported for the next two years. Find out more at www.thecambridgeroar.co.uk

VISIT OUR NEW ONLINE SHOP

National

Air

Ambulance

Week

Every September, air ambulance charities across the country join together to celebrate National Air Ambulance Week (NAAW). The initiative started in 2012 and EAAA has always been an active supporter. The special week was created by the Association of Air Ambulances (AAA) and celebrates the work of local air ambulance charities, giving them a national voice and an opportunity to promote their work. Together, the UK’s air ambulance charities raise £120 million a year, operate 37 helicopters, have a volunteer network of over 2,500 people and are one of the most exciting and innovative group of organisations in the UK. This year we were delighted to mark NAAW by working with a BBC Future project offering a look ‘Inside the trauma team where Prince William works’. The webbased multi-media story went live on the BBC website on 20 September and is still available to view. It offers an in-depth look at the team, technology, and tools that

EAAA.ORG.UK

allow our pilots and clinicians to bring the emergency department to the patient within the golden hour that can save lives. The Duke of Cambridge, known as Pilot William Wales at work, is featured alongside his fellow crew members to highlight the incredible work of the air ambulance.

EAAA’s ability to be on scene anywhere in the 5,326 square mile region within 25 minutes with its enhanced A&E level treatment gives patients the best chance of survival and recovery

In the last year, EAAA attended 2,085 incidents in total, with cases including patients injured in fires, horse riding accidents, industrial accidents and road traffic collisions. EAAA’s ability to be on scene anywhere in the 5,326 square mile region within 25 minutes with its enhanced A&E level treatment gives patients the best chance of survival and recovery. EAAA Chief Executive Patrick Peal said: “We were delighted to promote the lifesaving work of air ambulance charities and to celebrate the contribution of all our supporters throughout the country. “National Air Ambulance Week has now become a regular feature on people’s event calendars and there were so many different ways that people chose to get involved. Some of our supporters held dress down days at school or work and others organised events or set themselves a challenge and asked their friends to sponsor them.” We were also delighted that corporate supporter Allianz held a series of fundraising events including a dress

down day, among their staff during the week. They raised £100 which takes the total they have raised so far to over £700. National Director of the AAA Clive Dickin said: “The number of incidents where the skills of an air ambulance team are needed is rapidly increasing, as is the number of serious road traffic incidents which involve multiple casualties. This means that more than one air ambulance is often tasked to the scene of an incident. With borderless tasking and mutual aid playing a significant role in benefitting patients, we must build on this collaborative approach and continue thinking about the level of care required should we be faced with a significant major incident.” Next year will be the fifth anniversary of NAAW. So if you have a special reason to celebrate or raise money in September 2017 please consider helping EAAA. If you let us know your plans in advance our fundraisers can give plenty of help, tips and support. And if you were one of the many who got involved in NAAW in 2016 – thank you.

VISIT OUR NEW ONLINE SHOP

Lottery Lottery jackpot winners since our last edition For full details each week of the EAAA lottery winners and the current accumulator prize please visit our website www.eaaa.org.uk. The results are published there first and as soon as possible after the draw is made. They remain available on the site for approximately one month. During the last quarter, the £1,000 jackpot has been won by: Aug 05 Mr J. Warner

Acle, Norfolk

Aug 12 Mrs J. Cawdron

Norwich

Aug 19 Mrs M. Gilbey

Somersham, Cambs

Aug 26 Mr J. Wright

King’s Lynn

Sep 02 Mr & Mrs Nottingham Brundall, Norfolk Sep 09 Mrs K. Calow

Felixstowe, Suffolk

Sep 16 Mr D. Morgan

Lowestoft, Suffolk

Sep 23 Mr K. Bizon

Fakenham, Norfolk

Sep 30 Mr T. Harris

Whittlesey, Cambs

Oct 07 Mrs M. Smith

Wisbech St Mary, Cambs

Oct 14 Mrs M. Aylard

Milton Keynes

Oct 21 Mrs S. Risby

Woodbridge, Suffolk

Oct 28 Mrs Munnery

Waterbeach, Cambs

EAAA.ORG.UK

The Accumulator Prize Since our last issue the accumulator prize has been won only once on Augsut 19. The lucky recipient of the £4,500 prize was Mrs P. Chick in Northampton. Between then and the end of October we had had no further winners and as we went to press the prize had grown to £5,500. You can see how much the accumulator is at currently by visiting the lottery section of our website.

Last call for raffle Back in October we sent out our raffle tickets for this year’s Christmas draw, which has a top prize of £3,000 and a number of other sums to be won too. You may remember receiving details in the post together with a moving letter from Maxine Hays, whose son Darren had been airlifted by our Anglia Two helicopter. We’ve had a fantastic response from people who’ve returned their tickets and many who’ve asked for more to sell too. The draw will be made on December 21 so if you still have some tickets to send back please do so as soon as possible. Details of the winners will be published on our website and in the next issue of Anglia Lift Off. Thank you to everyone who has bought tickets.

Winners write We are always delighted to hear from our lottery winners who take the trouble to let us know what they plan to spend their winnings on. Here are just a couple of the photos we’ve been sent recently from some of them. One of our recent winners was florist Madeleine Bradley (below), from Cambridgeshire who wrote: “I was also very honoured to be asked to make the bouquet of summer flowers presented to HRH Queen Elizabeth at the opening of your new centre in Cambridge. My daughter is a staff nurse (soon to be sister) in the A&E department at Addenbrooke’s and sees first-hand the trauma patients brought in by air ambulance. I appreciate the importance of your work and on 13th November will be hosting a charity Christmas floral demonstration afternoon at Swavesey Windmill with all proceeds from the raffle of flower arrangements to your charity.” We thank Madeleine for her support and hope her event was a great success. Madeleine Bradley

Michele Aylard We also heard from Michele Aylard (above) who said: “I was soooo thrilled to receive your cheque for an amazing £1,000 - wow I’ve never ever won anything before and it was won through a very worthy cause which I have supported for some time now. Thank you all so much and carry on your wonderful work.” Thelma Brewington, also in Cambridgeshire, joked that she was too old for photos and she ‘might frighten all your readers,’ which we are sure isn’t the case. She added: “It was lovely to receive the cheque and I shall continue to support the Air Ambulance and the good work it does.”

EAAA Lottery makes a great gift and starts at just £13 Visit www.eaaa.org.uk/weekly-lottery or call

01603 489400

VISIT OUR NEW ONLINE SHOP

Lottery Thank you! The East Anglian Air Ambulance charity is enormously appreciative of the support from our loyal lottery players. Your weekly contribution really does make a difference and has helped to generate millions for the charity since it started. Without your continued support, it would be very difficult for us to maintain the service we currently provide. However, please don’t forget to let us know if you move house, we send our winning cheques through the post each week so it’s vital that we have an up to date address for our players. If you would like to help us save money by reading the magazine on our website please visit the Anglia Lift Off page on our website where you’ll find full details of how to do so.

EAAA.ORG.UK

About our lottery Supporting the East Anglian Air Ambulance lottery is one of the easiest and most sustainable ways to keep us flying and saving lives. There are 18 main cash prizes including a jackpot of £1,000 which is won every week. We also have an accumulator prize which rises by £500 per week. The maximum it can reach is £25,000 and we have had several of our supporters win significant sums. Everyone who plays the lottery is automatically entered into the accumulator draw.

How does it work? Once we receive your completed membership application we enter your details onto our lottery system. You’ll be sent a letter and membership card with details of your lucky number. Each Friday the winners are randomly selected from all current paying members.

How much does it cost? Each ‘chance’ in our lottery costs £1 and you can have more than one ‘chance’ each week if you wish.

How do I claim my prize? There is no need to make a claim as we automatically send out all the winners’ cheques by 1st class post on Friday afternoons. A list of winners can be found on our website www.eaaa.org.uk.

How do I join? Choose one of these three simple ways to take part in our lottery:

Fill in a form

Complete this application form, cut it out and send it back to us at the address printed at the bottom of the page. If you are paying by cheque, don’t forget to send that too.

Online

Sign up on our website. Visit www.eaaa.org.uk/weekly-lottery and follow the instructions for a safe and secure way to purchase.

Lottery Membership application New Member Details (Please fill in your contact and payment details) Name Address

Postcode Tel Email Date of Birth For cheque No. of chances per week payment: Total amount due £

No. of weeks (min 13)

Please tick if you are happy for EAAA to email you about news, events and other fundraising activities

For direct debit payments: (Please fill in the form below)

Instruction to your Bank or Building Society to pay by Direct Debit

Service User Number

Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society To: The Manager

422746 Bank/Building Society

Address Postcode Name(s) of Account Holder(s)

By phone

If you would prefer to speak to someone or are buying membership as a gift for someone else then please give our lottery team a call on 01603 489400 and they will be happy to help. All players must be over the age of 16.

Branch Sort Code Bank/Building Society Account No.

Instruction to your Bank or Building Society Please pay East Anglian Air Ambulance Direct Debits from the account detailed in this Instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this Instruction may remain with East Anglian Air Ambulance and, if so, details will be passed electronically to my Bank/Building Society. Signature(s)

Date Banks and Building Societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of account.

The sum of £

The Small Print This lottery is promoted by the Friends of East Anglian Air Ambulance Trading in support of the East Anglian Air Ambulance registered charity number 1083876. Responsible person Mr M Burt, EAAA, Hangar E, Gambling Close Norwich NR6 6EG. Tickets cost £1 and the draw is held every Friday. Licenced by the Gambling Commission www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk

Monthly (£4.34) First payment on

(Minimum payment of £4.34 per chance per month)

Quarterly (£13) /

Half-yearly (£26)

Yearly (£52)

and thereafter until further notice.

Please return your completed membership application form (with cheque made payable to Friends of East Anglian Air Ambulance) to: The Lottery Office, Friends of East Anglian Air Ambulance, Hangar E, Norwich Airport, Gambling Close, Norwich NR6 6EG Members must be aged 16 years or over, please tick this box to confirm Each chance costs £1 per week. All the data we hold is gathered and managed in strict accordance with the Data Protection Act (1998). We will never share your data with third parties for marketing purposes. We may contact you occasionally with information about other aspects of our work. Please tick if you do NOT want to hear from us by post by phone.

VISIT OUR NEW ONLINE SHOP

Only The Brave 2017

Our first ever obstacle course mud challenge, Only The Brave, was held, with the kind support of the Elveden Estate, in the spring of this year and was a massive success, with places sold out long in advance. More than 1,300 participants helped to raise over £110,000. We’ve had great feedback from those who took part and are working to make the 2017 event even better. For a start it will take place over two days on April 1 and 2. There will be a five or ten mile course with more obstacles and even more mud. Book your place early because we fully anticipate this event to sell out fast. Full details can be found on our website.

EAAA.ORG.UK

There will be opportunities for corporate sponsorship with a range of publicity benefits and team building opportunities. If you’d like to find out more about sponsoring the event please email catrina.laskey@eaaa.org.uk But if getting muddy isn’t for you we also need plenty of helpers over the weekend too. There are all sorts of volunteer roles available from assisting in the start and finish areas or supporting out on the course itself. If you are coming along to cheer on a family member and can spare some time to help too, please let us know. Email volunteer@eaaa.org.uk for more information.

A Norfolk family of fundraisers will be using Only The Brave to celebrate some major birthdays and anniversaries – as well as thanking EAAA for twice bringing medical help to them. Tom and Sarah Diaper together with children James (23) and Emma (20) will be taking on the 10 mile challenge and are already looking for the support of their colleagues and friends. Sarah said: “James has twice been airlifted from Wymondham Rugby Club after becoming injured during games and so we have been involved with fundraising for some time. 2017 is a big year for our family as Tom celebrates his 50th birthday, Emma her 21st and it’s also our 25th wedding anniversary so we thought this would be a great way to celebrate.” James, who still plays rugby, added: “I know only too well what a vital service the air ambulance is for this region – after all they have been out to me twice in the last ten years. On the second occasion I’d fractured vertebrae in my back and was in hospital and on

“I know only too well what a vital service the air ambulance is for this region”

The Diaper

family

crutches for quite a while. The EAAA crews show bravery every day – we’re aiming to repay that bravery with this fantastic fundraising challenge.” The family will be taking part under the team name of The Dirty Diapers and are having special shirts made for the occasion. Emma said: “We are all are relatively active, enjoying sports such as swimming, cycling and rugby but this challenge is something new for all of us.” Tom, who is a firefighter, is hoping he may even persuade his colleagues to sign up for Only The Brave too. He added: “As firefighters we are often at the same incidents as the air ambulance and can see first-hand the lifesaving care their crews give to patients. This is going to be a memorable way to celebrate my 50th birthday and it would be great to take on some other teams such as rugby clubs or other firefighters to see if they are a match for The Dirty Diapers.”

Are you brave enough? Sign up at www.onlythebraveraces.co.uk

VISIT OUR NEW ONLINE SHOP

FUNDRAISING If you are taking part in an exciting challenge such as a parachute jump, trek, or cycle ride to support EAAA, please get in touch. We’ll give plenty of guidance to help you reach your fundraising target. Don’t forget to set up an online giving page and take advantage of social media too.

70TH BIRTHDAY SKYDIVE Supporter Valerie Barrell completed a skydive to celebrate her 70th birthday and raised nearly £600. Valerie was inspired to jump after visiting our Norwich base earlier this year. As well raising money personally, Valerie volunteers at Bullock Fair Charity Shop in Harleston and has helped the store raise £750,000 since the charity began. Valerie said: “It was an amazing experience, my husband kept saying how calm I was, which is true, it was more a case of butterflies of excitement.” Describing her day she added: “We were all given a short training briefing and then dressed in very fetching suits before heading off to the plane where we were packed in like sardines. “The plane climbed to 13,000 feet, we fell out and free fell at a speed of 120mph, falling 5,000ft in 40 seconds. The parachute then opened and I was allowed to take over the steering for a short time before my dive buddy Tony took us safely down to terra firma. I’m now ready for the next challenge on my ‘bucket’ list!”

EAAA.ORG.UK

Father and son Ian and Lewis Bareham from Suffolk chose to raise money for EAAA when they did the three peaks challenge because of the vital help the air ambulance gives to the biking community. Calling themselves ‘Sloightly on the Huh’ they decided to do the three peaks of Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon in reverse order, meaning they climbed Ben Nevis, the hardest of the three, last. They spent 13 hours climbing and 11 driving but completed the challenge just within the 24 hours they’d set themselves. They said they’ll never forget the experience and have raised over £300.

Thinking of doing an extreme fundraiser? Visit www.eaaa.org.uk or call 0845 066 9999

VIRGIN MONEY LONDON MARATHON 2017

Supporter William Milne is a Community First Responder so knows only too well the value of the air ambulance service, When he took on the challenge of running the Ipswich half marathon in September he chose to raise money in aid of EAAA. He said: “Getting a patient with critical injuries to hospital rapidly is priceless.” William completed the course in just over 2 hours and has raised over £300.

Thousands of runners are now in training for next year’s Virgin Money London Marathon. If you have a place and are thinking of using it to raise sponsorship for a charity we would be thrilled to have you on the EAAA team, alongside the runners who have taken up our Gold Bond places. We’ll offer support throughout your training and fundraising tips to help you maximise opportunities. We have EAAA running vests too so that everyone will know who you are supporting. If you’d like to know more about supporting EAAA with your marathon place please email vlmevents@eaaa.org.uk

Staff from Rossis Leisure joined forces with Sainsbury’s in North Walsham, Norfolk, with a rowing machine challenge. Leisure centre and supermarket staff rowed throughout the day on the machine in the foyer covering 77 miles between them and raising nearly £270.

Runners from the Stowmarket Striders club spent the summer raising money for charities by hosting weekly evening trail runs. Routes were planned by the members and the events, which were open to all, then involved walking or running the course for a charity donation of £2. The series supported three charities one of which was EAAA and each received £700.

VISIT OUR NEW ONLINE SHOP

will

HOW TO HELP US:

Special events to help you make a In the early part of 2017 EAAA is holding a special event to highlight the importance of leaving a gift in your Will. If you have already made a Will and included a gift to EAAA we will be holding a thank you event in Norwich during January. It will be an informal opportunity to find out more about our lifesaving work and how much of this can only be achieved thanks to the legacies we receive. If you have already made a Will and remembered EAAA in your wishes then we would be delighted to welcome you to this event. If you are thinking of amending or making a Will but would like to find out more before you do so, please get in touch with us (details below) in order to receive full details about the event. Meanwhile, during February, our wonderful supporters at Heritage Will Writers in Norwich are generously holding a Wills Month with all the money raised coming to EAAA. Their Estate Planning Consultants will write your Will without charge but ask that you make a donation to EAAA in lieu of a fee. The suggested donation is £100 for a single will or £200 for a Mirror Will. There is no obligation to include EAAA in your Will, but if you choose to give either a specific amount or a percentage of

EAAA.ORG.UK

your residual estate once your loved ones have been taken care of then it would be highly appreciated. Gifts in Wills make a significant difference to the number of missions we are able to attend. You can book your appointment to make your Will with Heritage Will Writers at any time but to take advantage of their Wills Month support you must have your appointment booked at Heritage Will Writers Norwich office (just off the ring road in Hellesdon) during February 2017. Once you have made your appointment they will send you a letter containing all the information you will need and telling you about any preparation that can be done in advance. It’s very important to think about your wishes beforehand and perhaps make some notes about those to whom you would like to leave a legacy. If you wish to leave a donation to charity, this may help reduce the inheritance tax bill. When thinking about writing your Will there are a number of things to consider. We suggest you think about everything you own, including your possessions, your house and bank accounts. You’ll also need to decide who should be your executors. Decide where you would like your assets to go, is there something that you want to ensure stays in the family? How would you like your legacy to

✃

how to help us There are many ways in which you can support us, please help by ticking the boxes which interest you and completing your contact details. Then simply return the form to: FREEPOST EAAA Boost your donation by 25p of Gift Aid for every £1 you donate

live on, perhaps by including a gift to a charity? And think about who should write your Will – we always advise seeking the help of a legal professional or Estate Planning Consultant. Remember, making a Will means those who are left behind will know exactly what your wishes are, but if you die without making a Will it’s likely the law will decide how your estate should be distributed.

Gift Aid is reclaimed by the charity from the tax you pay for the current tax year. Your address is needed to identify you as a current UK taxpayer. In order to Gift Aid your donation you must tick the box below: I want to Gift Aid my donation of £ ................................... and any donations I make in the future or have made in the past 4 years to East Anglian Air Ambulance (charity no. 1083876). I am a UK taxpayer and understand that if I pay less Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all my donations in that tax year it is my responsibility to pay any difference. My Details Title First name or initial(s)

To find out more about Wills Month please contact Heritage Will Writers on 01603 894500. We are extremely grateful to Heritage Will Writers, who have been long-term advertisers in Anglia Lift Off as well as giving EAAA generous corporate support. If you have already made your Will and would like to attend our event in January, or you are considering doing so and would like to know how we use legacy gifts please contact Jess Down on 01603 485174 or email jess.down@eaaa.org.uk

Surname Full home Address

Postcode Date Tel Email Please tick if you are happy for EAAA to email you about news, events and other fundraising activities

I’d like to make a donation and enclose a sum of £........... I’d like to find out about setting up a regular donation I’d like to know more about becoming a volunteer I’d like information to help me raise money for EAAA I’d like information on how to leave a legacy I’d like to receive details about corporate sponsorship Please notify the charity if you: • want to cancel this declaration • change your name or home address • no longer pay sufficient tax on your income and/or capital gains If you pay Income Tax at the higher or additional rate and want to receive the additional tax relief due to you, you must include all your Gift Aid donations on your Self-Assessment tax return or ask HM Revenue and Customs to adjust your tax code. All the data is gathered and managed in strict accordance with the Data Protection Act (1998). We will never share your data with third parties for marketing purposes. We may contact you occasionally with information about other aspects of our work. Please tick if you do NOT want to hear from us by post by phone.

VISIT OUR NEW ONLINE SHOP

EAAA.ORG.UK