9 minute read
Executive team
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.
Jane Gurney
Chief Executive Officer
Jonathan Ager
Finance Director
Cliff Gale
Operations Director
Dr Neal Durge
Medical Director
Caroline Beresford
People Director
Pam Withrington
Fundraising & Marketing Director
Paul Curtis
Aviation & Operations Director
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.
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 Passionate Innovative
We treat everyone as they would wish to be treated, demonstrating reliability, knowledge, consistency and honesty. We take pride in going the extra mile, working above and beyond what is expected of us. We are lively and dynamic, proactively looking for ways to drive the best clinical practice.
Dedicated Trustworthy Inclusive
We care about the cause, our patients and each other, putting the people of Essex and Hertfordshire at the heart of everything we do. We foster an open and positive working environment, communicating with one another in an honest, meaningful way. 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:
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.
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.
LOOKING BACK AT THE YEAR
APRIL 2021 – MARCH 2022
