EHAAT Annual Review 21/22

ANNUAL REVIEW 21/22 EVERYDAY HEROES

Dr Charlotte Ashworth Pre-Hospital Care Doctor

FROM THE CHAIR OF TRUSTEES

I am pleased to report that despite the ongoing challenges throughout the year caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust successfully navigated the year to 31st March 2022. In an ever-changing environment, an agile approach to our working practices ensured we continued to operate safely and effectively for our patients.

the strategic direction of the charity. This year we committed to create a new Centre for Excellence with a vision to create a world-leading community through which pre-hospital care is developed to achieve the best outcome for people in our region and beyond. This exciting initiative will expand our range of expertise and resources, requiring considerable investment in the future. The trustees have designated £1m of reserves for this important project.

to reserves. Our reserves policy is to hold between 12 and 24 months of free reserves to safeguard our operation.

Many of our staff have been on the front line of the COVID-19 crisis, saving lives effectively in such difficult circumstances – a tribute to the skill of our clinical teams and pilots and the hard work of all who support them.

The year has seen the slow recovery of the charity’s community and corporate fundraising, which were adversely affected by the pandemic. However, we became more adept at hosting events virtually. Canvassing for both the Lottery and our Regular Giving programme recommenced, and our charity shops re-opened.

With over 100 guests in attendance, we opened our state-of-the-art airbase at North Weald on 19th October 2021, marking a milestone in the charity’s history. In addition to outstanding operational and clinical facilities, we have areas for training, mentoring, patient liaison and fundraising, including an interactive Visitor Centre. We can welcome and engage with the local community, showcasing the vital work of our critical care team. In March 2022, the North Weald airbase hosted a visit by Their Royal Highnesses The Earl and Countess of Wessex, together with emergency service organisations from across the region. This enabled their Royal Highnesses to say thank you for their outstanding hard work throughout the pandemic.

Each year the trustees and executive team hold a Strategy Day to consider

Negotiations commenced for the acquisition of a second AW169 helicopter. A contract was signed subsequent to the year end in May 2022. At the same time, we agreed with Specialist Aviation Services Ltd (SAS) that we would work towards holding our own Air Operating Certificate in the medium term. All of this requires substantial expenditure and will only be possible if we continue to build our resources and enhance our financial strength.

Following the introduction in 2019 of carrying blood products, we will be actively involved in the SWIFT Whole Blood Trial, which will start recruiting patients in September 2022 – a randomised controlled trial of prehospital whole blood versus standard care (separate blood components: packed red cells and plasma) for the resuscitation of patients with lifethreatening haemorrhages.

I am pleased EHAAT yet again demonstrated our financial resilience during the year culminating in an operating surplus of £3.4m, resulting in overall reserves of £44.4m at the year end. Our reserves comprise both restricted and unrestricted reserves. Unrestricted reserves are available to be spent on any of the charity’s purposes. Please note that unrestricted reserves include designated reserves and free reserves.

Due to the life-saving nature of our work, trustees take a cautious approach

At year end, sufficient free reserves were held to fund 19 months of forecast expenditure. EHAAT is committed to further diversifying income sources to ensure a robust financial model – securing its service for the long term. A key aspect is to grow an endowment fund to deliver a new stream of investment income, providing a particularly appropriate way of stewarding generous legacy gifts with the goal of supporting the charity into the future. The reserves policy is reviewed annually by the trustees to ensure new or changed legislation or guidance is considered and, where appropriate, is incorporated into our policy.

I remain extremely proud of our teams across all areas of the charity and their response to the ever-changing challenges of the last year. On behalf of the trustees, I would like to thank the executive directors for their leadership; to thank our team, across all areas of the charity for their dedication, enthusiasm and hard work in difficult circumstances; and to thank our volunteers and supporters, whose interest and commitment has remained undiminished throughout a second year when much of their normal work on our behalf has been curtailed.

I would like to welcome Ellisa Estrin to the Board of Trustees. Ellisa has extensive charitable experience, particularly in the field of fundraising. Finally, I give my personal thanks to my fellow trustees for their support and hard work over the last year when the charity has made a much greater call on their time than it would do normally.

Jonathan Trower Chair of Trustees

Dan McCarry Critical Care Paramedic

Adam Carr Critical Care Paramedic and Head of Patient & Family Liaison

WHO WE ARE

Trustees

The trustees oversee the strategic direction of EHAAT, ensuring the charity is administered effectively –accounting for its activities and outcomes. They are all volunteers, giving their time and expertise freely to help support the charity.

Trustees are selected for the skills and experience that have been prioritised to ensure that the charity’s objectives can be met. The skills matrix includes: clinical, budgeting, finance and governance, legal, fundraising, marketing, commercial sales, public relations, IT, people management, community and voluntary sector expertise, risk and strategic planning.

EHAAT’s trustees have four board meetings per year plus an annual Strategy Day, whilst there are also a number of committees focusing on particular areas of work. The trustees are legally responsible for the charity, complying with the Charity Governance Code and meeting the regulations set out by the memorandum and articles of associations of the charity. In addition to supporting the executive team, trustees are also responsible for protecting the long-term stability of the charity through ensuring there are adequate financial reserves.

Clive Gilham Trustee

Darren Hayward Trustee

Anni

Ridsdill Smith

Trustee

Andy Tunningley

Trustee

Roy Marfleet Trustee

Ellisa Estrin Trustee

Claire Smith Trustee

Ramzi Freij Trustee

Jonathan Trower Chair of Trustees

WHO WE ARE

Executive Team

The executive team are responsible for the day-to-day management of the charity. Led by Jane Gurney, Chief Executive Officer, the executive team provides leadership and are responsible for shaping EHAAT’s strategy or objectives and ensuring the charity achieves them. They are guided by and are accountable to the Board of Trustees. Working closely with them, they develop the charity’s long-term strategy, budget and business plan and ensure they comply with the Charity Governance Code and Fundraising Regulator, together with the CAA and CQC.

EHAAT, unlike NHS emergency services, is a charity. It brings the hospital to the critically ill and injured patients across Essex, Hertfordshire and surrounding areas. The free life saving service is provided 24/7 by helicopters and rapid response vehicles (RRVs) in the hours of darkness.

Each critical care team consists of a pilot and co-pilot, a pre-hospital care doctor and a critical care paramedic who can be rushed to the scene of an incident with life-saving support equipment. This delivers advanced clinical care that is normally only

found in the hospital emergency department. Once stabilised, the patient will be conveyed by air or land to the most appropriate hospital for their needs.

It costs approximately £9 million every year to cover all charitable costs and aircraft operations. Without access to National Lottery funding and with only limited support from government, we rely upon the generosity and goodwill of the people and businesses of Essex and Hertfordshire to remain operational and keep saving lives.

Cliff Gale Operations Director

Pam Withrington Fundraising & Marketing Director

Dr Neal Durge Medical Director

Paul Curtis Aviation & Operations Director

Caroline Beresford People Director

Jonathan Ager Finance Director

Jane Gurney Chief Executive Officer

COMMITTEES

Retail Advisory Committee

Claire Smith, Chair

There continues to be much focus on developing the retail division within EHAAT. One of the primary aims of the last twelve months has been to explore the possibilities available for retail to make a meaningful contribution to income generation and brand awareness, as well as capitalising on the huge opportunity for supporter and volunteer engagement in this sector. After the creation of the Retail Advisory Committee (RAC) last year, our first key objective has been to investigate and implement the most appropriate structure for the retail division in order to build strong foundations from which to grow our commercial offering. This has led to the creation of new posts and

recruited further expertise into the business.

We have conducted a review of our current shop portfolio and created a new criteria matrix to identify further shop locations. We have also undertaken a review of our warehousing and infrastructure requirements. The committee has spent time assessing the economic environment in which we have operated over the last year and planning forward. We have placed particular focus on our online offering, redefining this area of the business and recruiting to expand. We have also opened a new shop in Letchworth. We remain committed to our long-term vision of a retail superstore.

The RAC has refined its internal processes with the creation of a working group who report to the main committee quarterly. This has allowed us to separate the management of the business from the strategic review function. With the strong support and guidance of our volunteer retail experts, we have developed appropriate monthly data reports and introduced KPIs, which our shop teams are finding a valuable tool in identifying trends and driving change in a more considered way.

Audit & Risk Committee

Clive Gilham, Chair

The Audit & Risk Committee consists of three trustees with a mix of financial and commercial experience and meets

three times a year. Its primary purpose is to provide an independent oversight function to ensure that all major risks to EHAAT are reviewed and effectively managed. During the year, the committee placed particular focus on assessing the IT strategy and security, considering the adequacy of reserves and reviewing plans to respond to likely much higher inflation.

Nominations Committee

Darren Hayward, Chair

The Nominations Committee consists of three trustees, the CEO and the People Director. The committee advises the board on, and assists in, the management of the recruitment of future board members encouraging and promoting the trust’s commitment

to equality, diversity and inclusion. The committee also assesses the training requirements of the current board and reviews the trustee Skills Audit annually to ensure the required skills and experience are represented at board level. The Nominations Committee is also responsible for advising on succession planning for trustees and provides assistance and support to the CEO on recruitment and other matters relating to the executive team.

Investment Advisory Committee

Andy Tunningley, Chair

The Investment Advisory Committee was pleased with the continued investment outperformance of the growth fund. As part of the annual

review of asset allocation, the committee started to examine the implications of a more sustainable reserves policy and how best to respond to a world of higher inflation.

Clinical Committee

Ramzi Freij, Chair

The Clinical Committee is at the heart of the trust. It sets the direction of clinical travel for the organisation. New innovations are discussed at the committee prior to discussion with the full Board of Trustees for further scrutiny and approval if deemed appropriate. The committee is responsible for assessing the daily activities that occur clinically and responding to clinical issues. It is led by clinicians for clinicians.

PROFESSIONAL PASSIONATE INNOVATIVE DEDICATED TRUSTWORTHY INCLUSIVE

Dr James Goddin Pre-Hospital Care Doctor

OUR VALUES

Values are EHAAT’s system of beliefs that can be turned into action and give meaning to our business. Well established values improve the workplace dynamic and sharing these values with the team is a valuable tool to establish a well organised, committed and motivated workplace.

Values serve as a reference point for us with regards to our operations and decision making. We want our charity and our brand to reflect our values.

Our actions are guided by our values:

Professional

We treat everyone as they would wish to be treated, demonstrating reliability, knowledge, consistency and honesty.

Passionate

We take pride in going the extra mile, working above and beyond what is expected of us.

Innovative

We are lively and dynamic, proactively looking for ways to drive the best clinical practice.

Dedicated

We care about the cause, our patients and each other, putting the people of Essex and Hertfordshire at the heart of everything we do.

Trustworthy

We foster an open and positive working environment, communicating with one another in an honest, meaningful way.

Inclusive

We create a safe and supportive environment, promoting equality and valuing diversity.

CARBON SUSTAINABILITY

Our commitment to carbon impact and sustainability EHAAT is committed to making the very best choices for the environment, our people and the community. We’re working with an external company to assess our sustainability across the whole charity, identifying new opportunities to reduce our environmental impact further. Some of our early initiatives include:

The building at North Weald has been designed to current BREAM ratings and has achieved an energy performance certificate (EPC) grading of A, the highest possible.

Photovoltaic panels at both airbases allow us to generate electricity, with excess sold to National Grid.

Electric vehicle charging points have been installed at both airbases and our headquarters in Earls Colne to give staff and visitors the option to charge their vehicles while on site.

We’ve added two new plug-in hybrid vehicles to our fleet of rapid response vehicles (RRV). EHAAT is the first air ambulance in the UK to purchase the Volvo XC90 Recharge plug-in hybrid SUV for use as part of an emergency response fleet. In addition to providing pure electric driving producing zero tailpipe emissions, the new RRVs offer better results when measured against the traditional miles per gallon, thereby reducing fuel costs.

Additional steps such as improved waste segregation, recycling and eco boilers have been installed at both airbases and our headquarters in Earls Colne.

We’ve also replaced a conventional oilbased heating system in the Earls Colne hangar with an electric system coupled with solar panels on the roof. The new system is greener, providing a better heat source for the hangar, whilst the solar panels generate electricity to reduce costs in the long run.

Our charity shops provide a sustainable and ethical option when people wish to dispose of unwanted goods, promoting reuse and recycling to reduce landfill which makes a positive difference to the UK’s carbon footprint. Recycling clothes saves energy by reducing or eliminating the need to make materials from scratch whilst minimising greenhouse gases, the spread of diseases, and damage to our natural landscape – helping to protect wildlife.

We are always looking for ways to be more sustainable and improve our environmental impact and will continue taking positive steps to protect our planet for future generations.

Scott McIlwaine

Critical Care Paramedic and Head of Aviation & Operations

LOOKING BACK AT THE YEAR

James Mullett Critical Care Paramedic

With the inevitable disruption from our airbase improvement programme alongside changes and rotations in personnel, it’s been a busy year for the clinical team. Thanks to your support, we’ve continued to manage the constantly evolving challenges of the pandemic while ensuring the safety and wellbeing of our patients, staff and wider teams.

As we’ve welcomed new faces, we’ve also said goodbye to longstanding team members. After 11 years with the charity, Stuart Elms, our Clinical Director, has pursued a development opportunity elsewhere within the Air Ambulance sector. His replacement, Adam Broom, comes to EHAAT, having previously worked for Thames Valley Air Ambulance for 14 years. He has a proven track record and a wealth of experience within the private and NHS arenas, so we’re confident he will be a great asset to the team.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to profoundly affect our society and how we live and work. That said, we continued to provide high-level medical care to the people of Essex and Hertfordshire, supporting our strategic partners across the region. We successfully covered dropped shifts whilst team members were isolating, which was only possible due to the incredible support of our wider clinical team, often stepping in at very short notice.

At the height of the pandemic, EHAAT supported the NHS by performing

critical care transfers, both regionally and nationally, enabling patients to be moved to hospitals that had the capacity to receive patients with complex clinical needs, preventing local hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. The continuing generosity of the general public, together with local businesses and organisations, helped ensure we had sufficient levels of equipment to protect our crew and patients, thereby supporting the resilience of our service.

Both aircraft and our rapid response vehicles remained very active across the region. Our teams continued to provide high levels of enhanced care, clinical decision making and patient assessment to our East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) and London Ambulance Service (LAS) colleagues, supporting and enhancing successful patient outcomes.

The night time rapid response vehicle operating from North Weald continues to prove itself as a valuable resource to our patients and the East of England Ambulance Service. The number of patients attended continues to grow. It was activated 788 times and treated 500 patients, representing an increase of 109 activations and 75 more patients treated over the last year. The teams on the night time rapid response vehicle delivered 48 pre-hospital emergency anaesthetics and pre-hospital blood products to 22 patients. Previously, this treatment would have only been available in hospitals. Across the service, blood products were administered to 66 patients during this

period, and we continue to work in partnership with the National Health Service Blood and Transfusion (NHSBT) at Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow and the Essex Voluntary Blood Service to deliver a very successful, safe patient care regime.

The recruitment of emeritus doctors has commenced, with a very high volume of applications from former and current doctors. The emeritus team will allow us to retain the knowledge, skill and expertise of doctors that we have trained during their secondments. They will also provide greater levels of resilience, further reducing the risk of dropped shifts while underpinning supervision and training for our future cohorts of doctors and paramedics. This will ensure that the world-class levels of care we provide to our patients are maintained into the future. We anticipate that the emeritus doctors will be operational by our third quarter next year.

Team welfare is a key priority for the organisation. As such, a great deal of emphasis is placed on ensuring that our clinical team and the wider charity family are supported as required. The clinical team can access Trauma Risk Management (TRiM) via EEAST. TRiM is a trauma-focused peer support system designed to help people who have experienced a traumatic or potentially traumatic event. In addition, all staff have access to the chaplaincy team, mental first aiders (trained staff within the organisation), wellbeing phone apps, self-directed learning, individual counselling, and team meetings led by a clinical psychotherapist.

Research

This year has seen numerous achievements in research, service evaluation and audit activity, including the submission of a paper reporting a quality improvement project titled ‘A psychological resilience briefing intervention for Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) observers’ to the Air Medical Journal. The National Delphi Study has also been completed, establishing current research priorities for pre-hospital critical care in the UK. The paper has recently been submitted to the Emergency Medicine Journal (May 2022). We’ve also introduced Zoho Analytics software, which will be valuable in supporting our research, service evaluation and audit activity by providing live data and reports on key performance indicators and other areas of interest.

Sarah McLachlan, our PostDoctorate Research Fellow, has been collaborating on several projects with our neighbouring air ambulances, East Anglian Air Ambulance and Magpas Air Ambulance Air Ambulance, including a project to gain insight into the benefit of HEMS as perceived by HEMS clinical teams and ground ambulance staff. She’s also started working on a project to improve the efficiency and accuracy of HEMS tasking.

Clinical Governance

Our clinical governance continues to be robust, with all levels of the team engaging strongly. Led by our three experienced governance leads, we were able to continue our governance meetings despite the limitations placed on the team by the pandemic.

CLINICAL

Clinical Risk & Safety

The Head of Patient Safety & Quality (HoPSQ) role has been embedded well into the EHAAT clinical leadership team since its inception in 2021. The role ensures that a culture of patient safety is at the heart of all that we do to prevent or reduce errors and improve the overall quality of care. The HoPSQ leads the multi-professional Clinical Risk & Safety Committee (CRSC), whose role is to oversee reported clinical incidents

Care Quality Commission (CQC)

and their subsequent investigations. Quality is maintained at all stages of the investigation, and appropriate action is taken to prevent reoccurrence. The HoPSQ also maintains oversight of clinical notice read compliance, and compliance with the clinical team’s Critical Clinical Case Passport (CCCP) – a set of training scenarios which aim to ensure that the clinical team is well prepared for clinical interventions which are rarely performed.

With the government’s review and subsequent stepping down of covid restrictions, the CQC has begun returning to a regular schedule of inspections. As such, we anticipate that we will be inspected in the near future. Their inspection aims to ensure patients have received safe, effective, compassionate, and high-quality care. Our CQC Registered Manager continues

to ensure that we are patient and family centred in our service provision. They also guide and work with the trustees, executive team, and the entire clinical team to ensure the charity remains ready for any inspection by evidencing and demonstrating the outstanding level of care we provide. They also engage with the CQC to further understand and prepare for future changes to how the CQC monitors, regulates and inspects service providers.

Patient Liaison

The past year has proved challenging for the patient liaison team due to the ever-changing restrictions caused by COVID-19. Despite these challenges, we have continued to support as many EHAAT patients and families as possible via phone, zoom, and the occasional base visit as restrictions allowed. With the creation of two new Patient & Family Liaison Officer roles, the patient liaison team has been renamed the patient&familyliaisonteam. These new roles allow us the scope to contact and support an ever-increasing number of patients and their families. Completion of the Supporter Hub at our North Weald airbase has provided the patient & family liaison team with a dedicated environment to host patients and families for what can be an extremely emotional and difficult visit.

Training

We’re pleased to complete the Immersive Training Suite at our North Weald airbase, which allows our crew and wider teams to immerse themselves in a wide variety of scenarios and environments which are reproducible and easy to set up. Combined with high-fidelity manikins, the suite allows the team to practice clinical skills that can be recorded or streamed, providing supervision and structured debriefing opportunities. Our critical care team can now undertake joint training with multi-agency partners such as the Police Firearms Team and medical personnel from the armed forces, which allows us to support them in providing better patient outcomes. We continue to deliver the open online lecture

series that began in November 2021. The lectures are incredibly well-attended, with numbers increasing. Feedback indicates that the sessions have been very well-received by participants, and we are starting to see international attendees.

With the relaxation of covid regulations, student elective placements have resumed enabling medical students to gain an insight into the pre-hospital setting. During the placement, students can observe clinical practice and participate in the D&D days. The placements are a valuable recruitment tool. To that end, we are delighted to report that a former student, once qualified, will join EHAAT as an emeritus doctor.

The vision for the Centre for Excellence is to create a community through which pre-hospital care is developed to achieve the best possible outcomes for people in our region and beyond. It will be based on the four ‘Pillars’ of Education & Training, Research & Scholarship, Community and Innovation to create the foundations for three clinical domains, which will explore clinical best practice in patient experience and outcomes, head injuries and cardiac arrest.

Our mission is to develop a framework to improve the health outcomes from illness and injury by striving to reach the highest possible standards of pre-hospital clinical care through research, innovation and education. Furthermore, work collaboratively to share knowledge for the benefit of all.

Research & Scholarship Pillar

The Research & Scholarship pillar will further the academic outputs from EHAAT under a new, formal research strategy. Research will predominantly focus on the domains of “Head Injury,” “Cardiac Arrest” and “Patient Experience & Outcomes.” This pillar will also be central in developing a framework by which clinicians from all professional backgrounds can attain the highest levels of academic achievement.

Innovation Pillar

Innovation is an important part of the work of any Centre for Excellence. We will develop our innovation strategy as we make progress with our pillars, and our domains. The operation of the innovation pillar will be closely dependent on progress within the other areas. We will innovate our education and research, and develop innovative strategies for our community pillar.

Community Pillar

Our Community pillar will operate within two linked sub-pillars. We will ‘give back’ to our community by offering education to the people of Essex and Hertfordshire on how to assist in an emergency. Bespoke packages of training will be developed, including work on CPR, defibrillation, head injury and control of severe bleeding. With an increasing use of technology, we will develop a strategy to deliver mass education programmes using artificial intelligence and other methods. We will explore how EHAAT interfaces with the wider medical community.

Education & Training Pillar

Education & Training will firstly embrace the ongoing needs of our own team. There will be a firm link with the Community strategy. Our own internal courses and events will form part of a strategic education plan.

Based on the head injury and cardiac arrest domains, we will develop short courses in the medium term that bring the wider medical community to EHAAT for their education. Conferences, reaching out to an international audience will be aligned with our Centre for Excellence strategy. Furthering the academic education of our team by supporting them through masters and PhD programmes, will enable us to sustain and evolve our Centre for Excellence plans.

“Achieving clinical excellence sits at the centre of our ambitions with patient experience and outcomes encompassing all activity. Through a targeted research strategy across all 3 domains, an active scholarship and academic programme, innovative means to train and educate ourselves, our partners and our wider community and disseminating and sharing good clinical practice we aim to change the face of pre-hospital care within the region and beyond.”

Dr Neal Durge Medical Director

EARLS COLNE AIRBASE

Our Earls Colne airbase has been given a number of refurbishment upgrades, including the extension of our hangar. The service has been based on the airfield since 2011, and with the help of our remarkable supporters, we updated and extended our hangar to create a first-class facility that will enable us to continue providing an exceptional clinical service for those in need across the region well into the future.

submitted proposals, with ten designs selected by a panel of judges. Five designs were shortlisted and put to a vote by staff and volunteers from all areas of the charity, with Kiera’s entry being chosen for installation at Earls Colne.

Jane Gurney, CEO of EHAAT, who unveiled the sculpture with Kiera, along with Simon Brice, High Sheriff of Essex, local MPs Stephen Metcalfe and Will Quince and two members of EHAAT’s Critical Care Team Laurie Phillipson and Ben Myer, said she was thrilled with Kiera’s outstanding design.

While Kiera had lots of ideas for the sculpture linked to the community, she researched the charity’s history to see how EHAAT has evolved and adapted to continue saving lives across Essex and Hertfordshire.

On 22nd July 2021, we unveiled a sculpture, ‘Supporting Us, Supporting You,’ which takes pride of place at the airbase entrance. The sculpture is the result of the charity’s Design Project in collaboration with Harlow College. Art and Design student Kiera Harkett’s design represents the local community who proudly support EHAAT. Twentyseven talented Art & Design students

“The judges were hugely impressed with how all of the Art & Design students at Harlow College came to understand how EHAAT works and all the elements needed to remain operational; crew, volunteers, staff and community support. This has been a fantastic journey for both the charity and students, and we’re excited that staff and visitors will be able to enjoy this unique installation for years to come.”

Jane Gurney EHAAT CEO

‘Supporting Us, Supporting You’ – A unique sculpture to be enjoyed for years to come

“When visitors see ‘Supporting Us, Supporting You’ I would like them to reflect about the life-saving work the charity does, make them aware of all the diverse people who play their part to make this happen, as well as those that are helped every day. Thank you so much for all your continued support now and into the future.”

Specialist Aviation Services (SAS) has been providing helicopters, pilots and aircraft maintenance for emergency services for over 35 years and is recognised as one of the leaders in the industry. SAS and our representatives meet regularly, including twice a year to formally review the contract arrangements and ensure compliance. We have been trading with SAS since 2008, and we monitor the industry more widely to ensure that we continue to receive value for money for a safe, secure and high-quality service.

We operate from our airbases at Earls Colne and North Weald airfields, where we ensure a safe working environment which complies with stringent Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Care Quality Commission (CQC) and Health and Safety requirements. This operating structure enables us to be more effective and has many cost-saving benefits for the charity. Our service is operational seven days a week. Each base works a twelve-hour helicopter shift when daylight hours allow. The shift continues in a rapid response vehicle (RRV) when daylight hours are reduced. The airbases and the flying

operation are regularly inspected and audited by the CAA to ensure compliance with regulations and safety. The four RRVs, all Volvo XC90s, are specially equipped to support our HEMS operation. Two are located at each airbase and are used when the helicopter is unavailable due to weather, daylight limitations or helicopter maintenance. An additional night RRV shift is provided from North Weald, which means the airbases work together to provide optimum cover for both counties and surrounding areas 24 hours every day of the year. The year saw the introduction of two hybrid RRVs with the intention to replace the remaining two vehicles with a similar specification during the next year.

The new airbase at North Weald and upgraded facility at Earls Colne have proven to be superior environments to work, train and deliver the service, as well as help reduce our carbon footprint due to the modern design and materials used. They have also improved the rest facilities available to the crew, aiding their wellbeing.

Our partnership working with the East of England Ambulance Service NHS

Trust (EEAST) continues to strive for effective tasking (activation) of the clinical crews 24/7 through the Clinical Coordination Desk (CCD). The CCD is responsible for tasking all specialist assets, including helicopters, across the East of England region. Our critical care paramedics form part of the rota that staffs the CCD.

The effectiveness of the tasking continues to be monitored at operations meetings involving the charity, EEAST, and our neighbouring air ambulances, Magpas Air Ambulance and East Anglian Air Ambulance. It is also subject to a monthly ‘key performance indicator’ (KPI) monitored by the trustees.

The COVID-19 pandemic has continued throughout this year, resulting in additional safety measures being maintained. These included operational and aircraft modifications to ensure crew safety. These are monitored on an ongoing basis and changed or upgraded where necessary to provide the best protection for personnel.

Ben Cinque Pilot

A ROYAL VISIT

TRH The Earl and Countess of Wessex visit EHAAT

On 1st March 2022, we hosted a visit by Their Royal Highnesses The Earl and Countess of Wessex. It was a historic milestone for the charity but also an opportunity to bring everyone together at our new airbase at North Weald.

We work alongside hospitals, emergency services and supporting organisations across the region, and the visit enabled The Earl and Countess to thank some of these organisations for their outstanding hard work during the pandemic. Upon arrival, The Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire and Vice Lord Lieutenant of Essex greeted The Earl and Countess, and introduced them to the Chair of Trustees and CEO, Jane Gurney. As they toured the facilities, they met members of our critical care team, charity staff and volunteers. They also gained insight into our vision for a ‘Centre for Excellence’ at North Weald, which will enable us to push the boundaries in innovation, research and education for the advancement of pre-hospital care. Their Royal Highnesses also spent time

air lifted patients and their families to hear first-hand about their experiences. The highlight of the visit took place at the front of the building, where people had gathered representing the emergency services and voluntary support organisations, together with the members of the armed forces and many EHAAT charity staff and volunteers. The Earl and Countess took the opportunity to stop and speak to individuals, learn more about their outstanding work and thank them for their service.

They also personally thanked our volunteers for devoting their time and energy to the charity. With an army of over 400 volunteers, we continue to demonstrate our ability to bring people together from different backgrounds, disciplines, cultures and generations. Jane Gurney was thrilled that The Earl and Countess of Wessex gave their time to learn more about our work and meet the people who make it all possible.

“This was a real milestone in our charity’s history, as it is the first time Essex & Herts Air Ambulance has hosted a Royal visit. It was a fantastic

pandemic. I am truly honoured that we have been able to showcase our new airbase at North Weald and share our vision for a Centre for Excellence that will continue to develop pre-hospital care into the future.”

Chair of Trustees at EHAAT, Jonathan Trower, added:

“We are absolutely delighted to have welcomed Their Royal Highnesses The Earl and Countess of Wessex to our new airbase in North Weald, and we are very grateful for their interest and support for our charity. We were able to show them our outstanding new facilities for our team and to discuss our exciting plans for the further development of our emergency medical services across Essex and Hertfordshire.”

GENERATING FUNDS

Adapting to Change

The pandemic and subsequent restrictions impacted fundraising as we continued diversifying our income streams during another turbulent year. That said, we were pleased to see signs of a return to ‘normality’ as government restrictions were gradually eased, such as the return of canvassers and the reopening of our charity shops.

As we moved through the four phases in the government’s roadmap out of lockdown, the pandemic continued to affect fundraising. However, we gained momentum as tin collections, events, and volunteer activity restarted. Throughout all stages of the pandemic, our fundraising team has proven how agile and creative they can be, addressing immediate challenges whilst engaging with our supporters to keep relationships and communications active.

In addition, we introduced Business Regular Giving, utilising our existing canvassers, to grow our Business Regular supporters to around 100. A mix of sole traders, partnerships and limited companies across Essex and Hertfordshire gave a healthy average monthly donation in excess of £17. Payroll Giving provided an additional income of £26,400.

Retail

The COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions continued to severely impact the Retail Division, with all shops closed as we entered the financial year. We re-opened our charity shops on 12th April 2021, with staff and volunteers busy managing large volumes of donations and engaging with new and returning customers.

experience to guide us in implementing the strategy, which includes opening new shops, improving e-commerce sales, sustainability, improving processes and procedures and, of course, developing our team.

Our retail operation plays a vital role in driving sustainability, with each of our eight charity shops providing an ethical option for those choosing to dispose of unwanted goods. Every pre-loved item we sell makes a positive difference to our carbon footprint and helps tackle climate change.

Before the pandemic took hold, it was clear the number of people visiting the Frinton shop was lower than we anticipated and therefore projected income targets were not being met. We therefore took the regrettable decision to permanently close our Frinton shop.

Legacy, In Memory and Raffle Income

Regular Giving

Regular Giving has continued to show strong growth. For the year ending 31st March 2022, we recruited over 2,860 new regular supporters, an increase of 208% from last year’s numbers. This brings our active supporter base to over 4,330. Cumulative income for the year is in excess of £240,000, supplemented by an additional £65,400 in Gift Aid.

New areas of development have been channelled through telemarketing, such as successfully implementing an Upgrade Campaign and a Social Media Value Exchange Campaign. The initiatives collectively attracted over 1,000 Regular Giving sign-ups.

Our newly formed Retail Advisory Committee continues to oversee the hard work involved in implementing and delivering our retail strategy. With volunteer retail experts working alongside the Head of Retail and the rest of the Retail Advisory Committee, who have the significant retail

We continue to promote legacies through various sensitive campaigns across different media platforms, including radio, local press and social media. Last year, due to the pandemic, we were unable to hold our two annual legacy events. In the year to the end of March 2022, the amount received via legacies went down from £3m in the previous year to £2.3m, a decrease of 23%, but 2021 was an unusually high year for legacy income. Our ‘in memory’ income remained strong during this period, with £310k received for the year. We are touched that people continue to think of the charity at such a difficult time.

Our three raffles also performed better than the previous year, perhaps because supporters continue to turn to other ways to support us from home.

The Spring, Summer and Winter 2021 raffles generated £382,498 – marking a 14.5% increase. We are grateful to everyone who bought tickets and helped make this happen.

Flight for Life Lottery

Our monthly Lottery plays a crucial part in raising the vital funds needed to operate our life-saving charity. With restrictions easing on 12th April 2021, we welcomed back our canvassers. Having our team back on track working door-to-door meant our fundraising activities could finally return to a more normal footing. At the end of March 2022, the number of individual supporters playing our Flight for Life Lottery was 101,207, playing a total of 184,354 chances, up from the 179,755 chances last year.

relaunched ‘Motorcycle Run: I Did It My Way,’ an initiative which saw hundreds of bikers riding a minimum of 60 miles at a suitable time in a safe and distanced fashion. We also hosted ‘100 Miles In May,’ our walking challenge and ‘Tack 2 Hack,’ a new equine event for horse lovers. Each virtual event played a vital role in raising awareness, and in total, they generated just under £50,000 in net income, which is even more critical during uncertain times.

Blood On Board

On average, our critical care teams treat approximately 60 patients a year who desperately need a blood transfusion at the scene of an incident. It costs us approximately £500 to help one patient in need of blood. We launched our second ‘Blood On Board Appeal’ in January 2022, raising just over £6,000.

Restart a Heart Day

We contract two professional canvassing organisations representing our values to the wider community. Through contractual terms and conditions, regular meetings and training, we ensure they follow the charity’s values and closely monitor their activities. Any complaints received are followed up with the canvassing companies concerned and are reported to the Board of Trustees every month. During 2021-22, we received 10 such complaints out of 36,883 new sign-ups. The activities of these organisations are also regulated by the Gambling Commission and Fundraising Regulator. To help protect vulnerable people, we require all canvassers to be Dementia Friends and to attend a dementia awareness training course. Underage players are not permitted to join the Lottery; we also limit the number of chances players may have in the Lottery.

Virtual Events

We continued responding to the challenges of the pandemic on the front foot, running a series of virtual events and opening up ambitious fundraising campaigns to broader audiences. We

New Head of Philanthropy

On 7th February 2022, our new Head of Philanthropy joined us to develop, implement, deliver and lead our major giving programme across Essex and Hertfordshire. They have a wealth of experience and will work closely with the Chairman, CEO and Fundraising & Marketing Director on developing strategy, processes and cases for support.

In recognition of International ‘Restart a Heart Day,’ our pre-hospital care doctors, critical care paramedics and volunteers delivered free CPR and defibrillation demonstrations to over 300 members of the public on 16th October 2021. The training sessions, which were delivered by members of EHAAT’s clinical team, took no more than 10 minutes, and all participants were issued with a sticker when they had completed the session.

Each session gave participants the awareness, hands-on experience and confidence needed to assist in the event of a cardiac arrest medical emergency. Head of Patient & Family Liaison, Adam Carr, added: “I have no doubt that the skills they learnt could make the difference in the future between life and death for a loved one at home, a colleague at work, or a stranger in the street.”

GENERATING FUNDS

Air Ambulance Week

During Air Ambulance Week (6th to 12th September 2021), we joined other UK air ambulances in a campaign called “Every Second Counts and Every Penny Matters.” The initiative saw thousands of supporters and volunteers come together to raise awareness of the 21 air ambulance services, which help save lives across the UK. The campaign highlighted how air ambulance charities rapidly deliver advanced life-saving pre-hospital care, bringing the A&E department to patients with life-threatening injuries or medical emergencies.

Hertfordshire Focus

The charity’s public awareness continues to be greater in Essex than in Hertfordshire. To address this imbalance, we implemented a 5-year marketing campaign three years ago focusing on three different Hertfordshire towns each year. This is designed to raise awareness within the local communities that we are a charity and need ongoing support to continue our life-saving work. It is hoped that the carefully planned awareness campaigns will also, over time, encourage general donations, participation in our fundraising initiatives and secure more corporate and community group partnerships.

COMMUNICATIONS

Emergency Helicopter Medics

We’re pleased to be a part of More4’s Emergency Helicopter Medics, which will air towards the end of May 2022. The powerful series will show our crew in action as they attend critically ill patients across Essex and Hertfordshire.

Viewers will see how our critical care teams, along with other air ambulances from around the UK, bring hospitallevel care to patients suffering from life-threatening injuries and illnesses in a pre-hospital environment. The filming and interviews took place during September and October 2021, with 16 members of the HEMS teams at Essex & Herts Air Ambulance participating in the filming. We hope the stories covered will not only raise awareness of our free life-saving service but allow supporters and our local communities to see the dedication of our highly skilled teams up close. We’re excited to see the final result, which will air on More4 and All4.

Welcoming Celebrity MasterChef to North Weald

We are also set to feature in Celebrity MasterChef 2022, which airs on BBC One on Tuesday 6th September at 9pm. The show was filmed at our North Weald airbase in March to thank EHAAT aircrew and team members from the College of Paramedics for their work during the pandemic.

The College of Paramedics is the recognised professional body for all paramedics in the UK, whose role is to promote and develop the paramedic profession across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

‘Local Girl’ Lisa Snowdon Becomes a Celebrity Ambassador

Eight semi-finalists cooked lunch for 70 guests, including medics from EHAAT and the College of Paramedics, pilots, and charity support staff, designing and creating four dishes in just three

hours. Following the recording of the episode, Lisa Snowdon has joined Essex & Herts Air Ambulance as a celebrity ambassador. Lisa, along with the other celebrities, got a rare glimpse behind the scenes of the work carried out by the charity. Raised in Welwyn Garden City and now living in Essex, Lisa said: “I am so excited I’m going to be working with the team at EHAAT. On the Celebrity MasterChef mass catering day, Jane, the charity’s CEO invited me to be an ambassador. Nothing would make me prouder to be involved in helping the team continue to raise money for the life-saving work that this amazing service provides. These guys are real-life heroes and incredible people.”

This is another exciting opportunity to increase our exposure, enabling us to showcase our work to a wider audience. We’re excited to have Lisa with us, joining Ray Winstone as a celebrity ambassador, supporting some of our key events and initiatives in the future.

VOLUNTEERING

Our army of volunteers play a vital role in raising awareness of our life-saving work, assisting with support in our local communities and helping to increase income. At year end, we were supported by 412 volunteers, slightly down from 422 at the end of last year.

Our volunteers give their time and energy, sharing skills and knowledge to support our life-saving work and keep the charity operational. The gradual easing of lockdown restrictions allowed us to restart some of our face-to-face fundraising activities, which would not have been possible without the dedication and commitment of our volunteers.

Throughout all stages of the pandemic, our fundraising team has proven how agile and creative they can be, addressing immediate challenges whilst engaging with our supporters to keep relationships and communications active. Volunteer activity gained momentum with tin collections and events resuming.

National Volunteers’ Week took place during the first week of June as we came together to celebrate and thank our volunteers for their generosity and hard work. In addition to sharing a thank you video on our website, we also featured a series of volunteers’ stories online and across social media, raising awareness of their amazing work. We will continue sharing volunteering stories, hopefully inspiring others to learn new skills, meet likeminded people and be a part of the EHAAT family – ultimately helping to save lives.

Vision 21-22

We were delighted to hold our annual Vision event for volunteers at our new North Weald airbase in November. Over 50 of our volunteers were in attendance, and those who couldn’t be there in person joined us via Zoom. Vision is always a very important day in the calendar because it gives us the opportunity to thank and recognise our hardworking team of volunteers and present our vision for the future,

Volunteers had the chance to see our interactive Visitor Centre before moving into our new conference space, where we looked back at our highlights for 2021, unveiled exciting plans and presented a series of long service awards. John Turnbull collected his 15-year recognition award, whilst Clive Enguell, Jyotsna Islam, Brendan Jordan and Carole Simmonds picked up their 10-year recognition awards. We’d like to say a huge thank you to each and every one of our volunteers for their incredible dedication to our mission.

however, seeing our volunteers catching up in person at our new airbase made this occasion even more special.

FINANCES

We’ve demonstrated financial resilience over the past year, culminating in an operating surplus of £3.4m, resulting in overall reserves of £44.4m at the year end. We continue to be well supported by the people of Essex and Hertfordshire despite the enormous challenges we’ve all faced. The easing of lockdown restrictions and subsequent return to in-person fundraising activity has provided a welcome boost, and we look forward to the year ahead with optimism.

Income Generation

Our regular sources of income showed signs of recovery, with donations and collection tins up by £217k (17.5%) from last year but not yet back to prepandemic levels. With the high streets re-opening, income, as expected, from our charity shops was up sharply –£480k (210%), with events income also up £92k (303%). Lottery sales were down £420k (4.2%) as we saw the cumulative effect of players lost throughout last year. Reported total group income (incoming resources) decreased in total by £2m (11.3%) over the previous year. This was a result of the particularly strong legacy income in the previous year coupled with the receipt during 2020/21 of £1.25m government funding towards the construction cost of our new airbase at North Weald, which was a one-off and not repeated this year.

Resources Expended

Total group expenditure (resources expended) increased by £808k (7%) in the year. This was driven by higher levels of expenditure on raising funds, resulting from the return to canvassing for both the Lottery and our Regular Giving programme following the lifting of lockdown restrictions, together with higher running costs for the charity shops after having been closed for significant periods during the previous year. Our expenditure on charitable

activities was in line with the previous year falling slightly by 2.1% as certain costs incurred last year during the pandemic outbreak were not repeated.

The charity also incurred £0.8m (2021 - £4.3m) of capital expenditure in the year, including £150k on motor vehicles, including two new Volvo hybrid rapid response vehicles, £410k completing and fitting out the North Weald and Earls Colne airbases including the provision of charging points for electric vehicles. We also spent £68k on an engine filter system for the AW169 in order to protect our asset.

Performance Summary

Although many underlying levels of income were up on last year, the previous financial year benefited from some exceptional items such as the unusually high level of legacy income, government funding in relation to the North Weald airbase and investment gains, which resulted in a reported surplus for the year of £7.99m, a fall to a more normal level this year was therefore expected. Our net cash balances and investments at the year end were £35.6m, up £5.1m from last year.

Reserves Policy

Unrestricted reserves are freely available to be spent on any of the charity’s purposes; these amounts are contained within the general fund. In this context, reserves exclude tangible fixed assets held for the charity’s use. The trustees aspire to hold between 12 and 24 months of total expenditure in unrestricted general reserves to safeguard the operation of the service should our income fail or in the event of an unexpected eventuality. Current unrestricted general reserves represent 19 months’ forecast total expenditure. Taking into account the continuing economic uncertainty coupled with the current strategy to expand both service delivery and related fundraising activities significantly in the medium

term, the trustees consider the current levels of reserves to be appropriate in ensuring the charity remains robust – and can continue to operate during this period of great uncertainty. The uncertainty over future income streams and increased expenditure brought about by the coronavirus pandemic, sudden higher inflation and the invasion of Ukraine have demonstrated the importance of a robust reserves policy to protect the charity.

Investments

Our investment portfolio, managed by abrdn (formerly known as Aberdeen Standard Capital), increased in market value across the period by £787k, having a market value at the year end of £17.6m. This is a notional gain only; our investments are held for the medium to long term and are made using professional investment advice. We consider the security of our investments, our future funding needs and market returns available for a given level of risk. Cash reserves of £14.3m were held in two liquidity funds managed by abrdn. The trustees’ treasury management policy is designed to ensure that the primary objectives of safeguarding EHAAT’s assets and limiting its risk are balanced with the achievement of a satisfactory return. Security, liquidity and yield are each assessed for their appropriate balance within the application of the treasury policy.

40,416,869

(11,012,200) Restricted

(876,132) (1,625,083)

24,303,652 27,779,586

FINANCIAL TABLE

All financial information within this Annual Review has been extracted from the charity’s audited financial statement for 2021-2022 to be filed at Companies House.

Total funds 2022 £

Income from: Donations and legacies Charitable activities Trading activities Investments

TOTAL INCOME

Expenditure on: Raising funds Charitable activities

TOTAL EXPENDITURE

Operating surplus/(deficit) Net gains/(losses) on investments

Net income/(expenditure) before other recognised gains and losses

Net movement in funds

Reconciliation of funds: Total funds brought forward

TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD

4,565,960 105,601 10,512,847 334,066 15,518,474 4,932,172 7,205,321 12,137,493 3,380,981 620,655 4,001,636 4,001,636 40,416,869 44,418,505

Total funds 2021 £

5,007,062 1,873,668 10,389,482 237,568 17,507,780 3,967,976 7,361,638 11,329,614 6,178,166 1,813,544 7,991,710 7,991,710 32,425,159 40,416,869

2021 £ £ 2022 £ £

Fixed assets

Intangible assets 11,734 24,547 Tangible assets 11,026,987 10,987,649 Investments 31,928,373 26,248,570 42,967,094 37,260,766

Current assets

Stocks 29,727 35,302 Debtors 1,093,407 1,448,790 Investments Cash at bank and in hand 2,728,805 3,271,695 3,851,939 4,755,787

Creditors: amounts falling due within one year (2,400,528) (1,599,684)

Net current assets 1,451,411 3,156,103 Net assets 44,418,505 40,416,869

Charity funds

Restricted funds 876,132 1,625,083 Unrestricted funds 43,542,373 38,791,786

TOTAL FUNDS 44,418,505 40,416,869

OUR COUNTIES

Ware

The group Wares the Bricks create a display of lego built figures! In 2022 an aircraft was built by one of the group’s members. Wares the Bricks have kindly donated £16,436 since being supporters of the charity.

Hitchin

Mary Davis celebrated her 75th birthday by taking on a running challenge to raise money for the charity, she raised £1,216.

Welwyn Garden City

In May 2021, Steve Dukes, Head of Equipment for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, auctioned sports memorabilia, including signed football shirts, in memory of his late father, Charlie Dukes. Steve raised over £44,000 for the charity whilst helping to generate local and national press coverage. Steve is determined to keep the memory of his father alive, and he is set to run a follow-up auction in 2022 to boost awareness of the charity and raise crucial funds.

Luton & Dunstable Hospital Luton

Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge Major Trauma Centre

For patients who have sustained severe or multiple trauma.

Basildon University Hospital, Basildon Cardiothoracic Centre (specialist hospital)

For patients who have suffered heart attacks.

Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford Specialist Burns Centre (specialist hospital) The only specialist burns centre in the East of England.

Colchester General Hospital, Colchester General Emergency Department

Ipswich Hospital, Ipswich General Emergency Department

Lister Hospital, Stevenage General Emergency Department Particularly for patients who have suffered heart attacks.

Luton & Dunstable Hospital, Luton General Emergency Department

Princess Alexandra Hospital, Harlow General Emergency Department

Queen’s Hospital, Romford Specialist Neuro-Centre (specialist hospital) For patients suffering acute neurological emergencies and head or spinal injuries.

The Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel Major Trauma Centre

For patients who have sustained severe or multiple trauma.

Ware

Carol and the members of Ware Joggers organise an annual event raising money for EHAAT, to date the club have raised £59,816.

Addenbrooke’s Hospital Cambridge Lister Hospital Stevenage

HERTS

Princess Alexandra Hospital Harlow

London

Queen’s Hospital Romford

The Royal London Hospital Whitechapel

Potters Bar

Scott Buddington ran the London Marathon in 2022 in memory of his brother, Steve, who was attended by the EHAAT team before passing away. Scott raised a total of £5195.

Hospitals we fly regularly to

Stebbing

Stebbing Tractor Road Run – The 65 vehicles covered 34 miles via road and field to raise money in their annual tractor run – since 2017 they have raised £47,462.

ESSEX

Harlow

Frank G Gates Ltd, a leading family owned car retailer with locations across Essex and Hertfordshire, renewed its support of EHAAT by generously offering the use of a Ford Kuga throughout the year.

Halstead

Sue Jones and her team of ladies, known as the Tuesday Girls, have supported EHAAT over the past two years. They hold various activities in their EHAAT branded t-shirts. The Tuesday Girls raised £6,478 with the help of Barclay’s match funding.

12 year old Alfie Lowther has autism and after seeing EHAAT’s vibrant red and yellow fundraising collection box decided he wanted to raise money for the charity and inspire others to make a difference. He sold fruit salads to his neighbours and collected funds at the local village cafe.

Maldon

The Maldon Mud Race has supported us on and off since 2004 (Total raised £59,656). This annual event supports many local charities across Essex. This successful event in which competitors race to be the first to complete a 400-metre dash over the bed of the River Blackwater.

Hockley

Kate Bennett and some of her coworkers from EEAST held their second rum tasting night at Hockley Tennis Club as a charity fundraiser for EHAAT. The event was well attended and enjoyed by all – the grand total was a fantastic £1,945.

Broomfield Hospital Chelmsford

Basildon University Hospital Basildon

Colchester General Hospital Colchester

Ipswich Hospital Ipswich

Earls Colne Airbase (MD902)

North Weald Airbase (AW169)

PATIENT STORIES

Spike Sampson

Having recently moved to Great Amwell, Hertfordshire, Spike Sampson (14) and his mother Carrie Courtney, had barely settled into their home when a horrific accident occurred, leaving Spike with devastating injuries and “a 3 per cent chance of survival.”

After 16 days in hospital, Spike underwent a number of operations in order to repair the many fractures he had sustained, including a full facial reconstruction. After a month, family members could pay Spike a visit with covid restrictions easing, and by July, he was able to return home. He began his rehabilitation placement at The Children’s Trust in Surrey in August and continued to make tremendous improvements.

Spike said: “I’ll never stop saying thank you. The air ambulance have been amazing, every step of the way.”

Pete Morris

Friday 20th November 2020 began like a usual workday for Pete Morris, his wife Jackie and their colleague Danny. It was a cold, wet and dreary afternoon, but their house clearance in Harlow was all going to plan – until disaster struck.

Rushing over to the horsebox, Andy could see Pete was unconscious. At that moment, Danny appeared from inside the house and, seeing the dreadful situation, ran back to get Jackie.

Spike, an avid longboarder, was also getting to grips with the road layouts near his home. On 11th April 2021, he rode down Cautherly Lane, but as the hill steepened and curved, he was soon travelling at 50mph – avoiding an oncoming car before hitting the curb and crashing into a 400-year-old stone wall.

“All I remember is getting up and looking at my hands. It felt like a really, really bad nosebleed, but that was it. It just goes blank from there.”

When EHAAT arrived, the team quickly stabilised Spike and placed him into a medically induced coma at the roadside before intubating and ventilating him. He was airlifted to the Major Trauma Centre at Royal London Hospital. Spike was rushed to theatre with a fractured skull, cheekbone and eye socket, with severe damage to the right side of his brain. The team of neurosurgeons removed part of Spike’s skull in order to relieve pressure and allow the brain to swell. After five days in hospital, Spike woke up but an MRI scan confirmed his brain was damaged on the right frontal lobe – the part that controls emotions and inhibitions.

Pete (72) was in the horsebox trailer just in front of the property when he began clutching his chest. Showing obvious signs of discomfort, he was spotted by Andy Jenkins, a hairdresser who was walking to the local pharmacy to collect his mother’s prescription.

“I saw Pete in the horsebox, and you know when there’s something wrong with the picture in front of you, he just didn’t look right. I was about 50 yards away but saw he had his hand up to his chest, and then he quickly fell to the floor.”

Jackie said: “It was so frightening because without giving CPR, I knew he didn’t stand a chance. I could see his face turning blue, and he was frothing at the mouth – I knew he was dying and that I had to start CPR.”

Jackie was recovering from surgery to her shoulder, and although she tried, she did not have the strength required to give effective chest compressions, but Andy took over whilst Danny called the ambulance.”

The emergency services and EHAAT’s Critical Care Team arrived promptly at the scene via rapid response vehicle. Pre-Hospital Care Consultant, Dr Matt O’Meara, Dr Clare Anderson and Critical Care Paramedic, Scott Wallman, stabilised Pete by taking control of his breathing using an anaesthetic and a ventilator. He was safely transferred to Lister Hospital in Stevenage. EHAAT provided a prehospital anaesthetic, and he remained in an induced coma for two weeks. Pete had an internal cardiac defibrillator (ICD) fitted to continuously monitor his heartbeat and after three weeks of receiving treatment, he was discharged on Christmas Eve with no severe side effects.

Pete said: “He could have just as easily seen what was going on and carried on with his day. He was a really good Samaritan and saved my life. We wake up every day and thank him, the doctors, nurses and paramedics. We want to shout from the rooftops what everybody’s done for us.”

“I’ll never stop saying thank you.”

“I want to shout from the rooftops what everybody’s done for us.”

Laura Francis

It was a run-of-the-mill day for nurse Laura Francis (39). Having just finished her night shift on the Accident & Emergency ward at Colchester Hospital, Laura made her way to Ardleigh on 22nd November 2020 to take her horse for a jumping lesson. The training was going to plan, but as Laura gained momentum and approached a routine jump, her 15-year-old horse D’Artagnan stopped in his tracks and rose up, sending Laura crashing to the ground.

“I remember thinking there was clearly something wrong with my arm. I was in agony – but I don’t recall getting from the field to the ambulance, which was three fields away.”

Upon arriving at Colchester Hospital – the same hospital Laura had worked at for six months in A&E – she was greeted by familiar faces.

“I knew all of the nurses in RESUS and had my friends looking after me, but also my boyfriend James, who was a staff nurse. It was daunting being on the other side, but the whole team were fantastic!”

After being given pain relief and some initial tests, Laura had broken the top of her left arm and was required to wear a brace and a sling for 21 weeks, returning to work at full capacity seven months later.

“I was very much aware of air ambulances and the amazing work they do, but I felt so bad knowing how

Second Counts and Every Penny Matters.’

The campaign highlighted how air ambulance charities such as EHAAT rapidly deliver advanced life-saving pre-hospital care directly to the side of patients with life-threatening injuries or medical emergencies, essentially bringing the A&E department to the patient when every second counts. Throughout the week, we shared a series of short videos across our social media channels, including Andrew Bord’s story, which highlighted the importance of supporting your local air ambulance and their life-saving work.

Andrew was taking a shower when he blacked out, fell, and had a seizure. When EHAAT’s team arrived, they quickly identified that they had to treat the large wound on Andrew’s head and give him a pre-hospital anaesthetic in order to take over his breathing. This would start the process of reducing his brain injury and prevent, as best as possible, any further harm. Once stabilised, Andrew was airlifted to The Royal London in six minutes.

“Normally, I would jump up and get back on, but I just remember laying there thinking something’s really wrong. My instructor kindly ran my horse back to the yard whilst I called an ambulance. At first, I just thought I needed some gas and air, but the panic soon began to set in.”

Pre-hospital Care Doctor Jess Payne and Critical Care Paramedic James Mullett arrived at the scene via the MD902 helicopter, making a safe landing once the riding instructors had secured all of the horses. They were joined by the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust. Doctor Jess Payne administered ketamine to relieve Laura’s pain and allow her to be moved comfortably from the field to the ambulance. The air ambulance crew went with Laura in the ambulance to provide further pain relief on route to the hospital.

stretched frontline workers were at the time, so I’m immensely grateful I was able to get the care I needed quickly. I just wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone involved!”

In the video, Andrew’s wife Emma said: “It proved to us that life can change in a single second. Everyone needs to know they are there; they need support because they support us.”

Andrew Bord

Andrew Bord was the star of our Air Ambulance Week campaign. Air Ambulance Week took place from 6th to 12th September 2021, and it was fantastic to see bucket collections return in many areas, albeit on a smaller scale than usual due to the pandemic. During the national awareness week, organised by Air Ambulances UK, we joined the other 20 air ambulance charities in a campaign called ‘Every

“I’m immensely grateful I was able to get the care I needed quickly.”

LOOKING FORWARD TO THE YEAR AHEAD

Dr Kat Baird Pre-Hospital Care Doctor

FROM OUR CEO

Looking Forward to The Upcoming Year

Like many charities across the country, we have been challenged by the lasting impact of the pandemic. That said, each hurdle of change and uncertainty has opened doors to exciting opportunities, historic milestones and ambitious plans to reach the highest possible standards of prehospital clinical care.

We are proud of how our team has stepped up and adapted to meet the needs of our patients, their families and our communities. The return of faceto-face events, fundraising initiatives and close working relationships with our partners has raised our spirits

and further emphasised our team’s outstanding strength and the power of collective action.

There was no better opportunity to showcase our inclusive environment than hosting a visit by Their Royal Highnesses the Earl and Countess of Wessex on the 1st March 2022. It was a historic moment we’ll savour for decades to come. Still, it also allowed us to reflect on how we have navigated the last 12 months working collaboratively with many hospitals, emergency services and supporting organisations across the region.

It’s fantastic to see how well our staff and volunteers have settled into our North Weald airbase, which gives us

the security of tenure and facilities for training, mentoring, patient liaison and fundraising. Combined with the newly extended and refurbished Earls Colne airbase, which also sits at the heart of our clinical care, we have the first-class infrastructure in place to support our life-saving work.

We will soon be accelerating our plans to create a Centre for Excellence – a world-leading community through which pre-hospital care is developed to achieve the best outcome for people in our region and beyond. This exciting initiative will enable us to work collaboratively with pre-hospital care clinicians, to drive innovation and share knowledge for the benefit of all.

On a personal note, I’d like to say a huge thank you to the University of Essex for awarding me with an honorary degree. It’s always a privilege to lead Essex & Herts Air Ambulance to huge milestones, but this achievement wouldn’t be possible without the amazing people I have around me. Each day, I work with true experts in their fields, and I trust and value their knowledge and ideas, always driving forward to improve care for our patients, ensuring we continue to be there for the people who need us most.

I am so immensely proud of Essex & Herts Air Ambulance and our work over the past year. We have risen to every challenge with creativity, enthusiasm and determination. From

our 400-strong army of volunteers who devote their time, energy and passion to our cause, to the incredible support we receive from the public, and our people, who have adapted rapidly to meet the needs of patients and their families – you all play a pivotal role in keeping the charity operational, saving lives across Essex and Hertfordshire.

I am looking forward to the year ahead with confidence and excitement, safe in the knowledge that Essex & Herts Air Ambulance is more resilient, agile and collaborative. Thank you for your continued support.

“I am so immensely proud of Essex & Herts Air Ambulance and our work over the past year.”

Jane Gurney Chief Executive Officer

CLINICAL & OPERATIONS

Clinical

With the world opening up again, we can engage more easily with external stakeholders. We can welcome guests once again to the bases, including patients and family, and guest speakers for our D&D days.

We have also been able to re-introduce elective placements for medical students, potentially enabling us to begin the process of creating the next generation of HEMS doctors. All of this whilst launching the Centre for Excellence, which will allow the research and development of prehospital care through innovative techniques, support, and training for first responders. In doing so, we will be maximising the utilisation of the state of the art training facilities available at our North Weald airbase while seeking to build a reputation as a leading international training centre in Pre hospital Care for trauma, medical, and cardiac, which will benefit patients not only in Essex and Hertfordshire but globally.

Cardiac arrest is a clinical domain within the Centre for Excellence. Our vision is that as part of the Centre for Excellence, CPR and defibrillation training will be rolled out, alongside other life-saving first aid techniques, to charity staff, volunteers, supporters, and schools to equip young people with a life-saving skill.

Operations

While we operate a 24-hour service, we can currently only fly during daylight hours, the hours of darkness being covered by our RRVs. This means we cannot accept a mission in a helicopter when it is dark. We are working with our operator to agree on a programme of training and equipment purchase to allow the North Weald helicopter to fly when it is dark.

Terms have been agreed to purchase a second AW169 to replace our existing leased MD902 based at our Earls Colne airbase. The anticipated entry into service of this new helicopter is spring 2024 after its medical fit-out to mirror the equipment carried on the existing AW169 operating from our North Weald airbase. This investment would not be possible without the continued support from the public and businesses of Essex and Hertfordshire. The new state-of-the-art AW169 will be able to fly further, faster and carry more additional equipment than the existing MD902. It also offers the maximum internal cabin space for crew and patients so that, even whilst flying, the pre-hospital care doctors and critical care paramedics will have full access to the patient if necessary.

Purchasing a second AW169 means EHAAT will operate identical aircraft types, assisting in our strategic objective to operate under our own Air Operator Certificate.

FUNDRAISING

Having successfully navigated the challenges posed by COVID-19, we remain focused on reaching new audiences and keeping existing supporters engaged by combining a variety of exciting fundraising and marketing initiatives.

We know that many individuals and families have been facing their own challenges over the past year, and we are humbled by the outpouring of support that we have received. As we look ahead to the upcoming year, we are eager to continue building on this momentum, raising awareness of our life-saving work. The new North Weald airbase and Earls Colne improvements reflected the importance of investing for the future. We look forward to welcoming supporters to our new

exciting interactive visitor centre at North Weald as we venture back to inperson community fundraising events.

Ray Visits Our North Weald Airbase

We were pleased to have our celebrity ambassador, Ray Winstone, visit the North Weald airbase in February 2022. As a volunteer, he gives his time for free, allowing us to record video, radio commercials and take photos to support campaigns for the year ahead, such as Air Ambulance Week, National Restart A Heart Day, Regular Giving and Sustainability. Ray continues to make an invaluable contribution to our work, helping EHAAT raise vital funds towards keeping the charity operational.

New Website and CRM Integration

Our website is the digital entry point into our charity, allowing us to share our story, expand our reach, connect with supporters and drive donations. As part of our commitment to continuously improve our online presence, we will soon begin work on the new website, which will enable us to connect with a broader demographic, increase online donations and reduce the amount of time manual input is required. We will also be integrating our customer relationship management system to protect our supporters’ data, improve efficiency and provide insight that will guide our decision-making.

Earls Colne Visitor Centre

Having successfully launched our Visitor Centre at our North Weald airbase, we are now looking at how we can replicate key elements to create a similar visitor experience at our Earls Colne airbase. We hope to have this new interactive space ready by the end of 2022 so that our supporters can visit us to learn more about the life-saving service we provide.

Reporting – PowerBI

To improve reporting across many areas, including regular giving and retail, we are looking to introduce Power BI, an interactive data visualisation software product developed by Microsoft with a primary focus on business intelligence. We plan to create a data-driven culture across our organisation by introducing Power BI.

Corporate Fundraising Manager

As we emerge from a post-covid world, we remain focused on growing and diversifying our fundraising income. To support our ambitions, we are seeking a Corporate Fundraising Manager. The successful candidate will maintain a robust pipeline of new corporate fundraising opportunities and manage a portfolio of existing corporate supporters.

Restructured Communications Team

In order to help deliver the marketing support needed to achieve our ambitions for 2022/23, we plan to restructure our Communications Team.

A Campaign & Design Manager will take responsibility for managing all campaigns across the charity, from

income generation to clinical and HR. A new Fundraising & Marketing Administrator post will deliver support across many areas, including corporate fundraising, events, regular giving, CRM and marketing. With a growing team, we’ve restructured our communications department to build in-house capacity whilst utilising specialist external agencies and freelancers to enhance creativity, allowing us to be flexible, reactive and cost-efficient.

FUNDRAISING

Retail

We will remain focused on delivering our long-term retail strategy, which will include more shops and potentially a superstore. We are working on delivering some new initiatives which will help drive supporter engagement.

We are excited to be working with E-productive, who are launching their new app ‘My Charity Shop,’ available in the App Store and on Google Play. The app will allow our supporters to manage their donations more efficiently and to keep track of gift aid. There will be a store locator tab, a volunteer tab for all volunteering opportunities across

the charity, a sustainability tab which will give daily updates along with an eBay tab for easy access to our eBay shop.

Also, with E-productive, we are looking at the possibility of introducing customer-facing small screens linked to our tills which can be used to share messages with supporters about how else they can engage with the charity. We could also encourage an additional ‘donation’ at the point of sale; the screens could be used to promote gift aid and volunteering. We are currently exploring the options and costs to trial screens in 2023-24.

How you can support us:

• Make a regular or one-off donation

• Join our lottery

• Fundraise for us

• Join us at one of our events

• Remember us in your will

• Volunteer with us

• Browse our charity shops or their Facebook pages

• Enter our raffles

• Buy merchandise at our online shop, or e-commerce platforms

• Become a corporate partner

• Hold a collection tin at your business

• Follow us on social media

For more information visit ehaat.org, call 0345 2417 690 or email contactus@ehaat.org

Thank you for your support –we can’t fly without you