THE MAGAZINE OF
FOR
SPRING/SUMMER 2016
EHAAT.UK.COM
Flight
THE ESSEX & HERTS AIR AMBULANCE TRUST
FLYING DOCTORS
DOWN UNDER
GARDENERS’
DELIGHT IT’S OUR SUMMER OF OPEN GARDENS SUITS A gift from YOU! Lewis Hamilton
SPRING 2016
Get ‘On Board’
On Board Air Ambulance is the independent company behind an exciting new member benefits scheme set up to raise funds for the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust. It offers members access to great savings from local businesses. ‘On Board’ has now joined forces with Perkz, a leading discount provider offering savings of up to 6% on your weekly shop at Tescos, Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencers and Iceland; as well as great savings on holidays, home appliances, eating out, staying active and more!
By becoming a member of On Board Air Ambulance you can save: 10% at Haven, cottages.com and Hoseasons up to 30% with Bosch, Siemens, Whirlpool, Hotpoint & more on home appliances 8% in store at Boots 8% at Debenhams 8% on National Trust gift cards 5% in store at John Lewis 7% at Homebase Plus more savings at Apple Store, Curry’s PC World, Halfords and more Subscribe today for just £2 per month at
www.onboardairambulance.co.uk We produce stylish furniture, created by skilled craftsmen in our Colchester workshop using traditional and modern techniques As a family run upholstery business, with over 60 years experience, we have become one of the most successful upholstery companies in the UK
www.alstons.co.uk 01206 765 343
and start saving!
Welcome from Jane Writing this column gives me a great opportunity to reflect on all the things the Charity has been doing since our last issue and to look ahead to all the exciting things planned for 2016. Last October, we were invited to a reception at the House of Commons held by the All Party Parliamentary Group for Air Ambulances (APPGAA) and hosted by the Group’s Chairman Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North. It was lovely to hear the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health, praise the work of the air ambulances and ambulance services. I am always keen to meet local MPs to discuss the issues we face, such as the need for helipads at Trauma Centres. I was recently pleased to welcome both Oliver Heald MP for North East Hertfordshire and Priti Patel MP for Witham to our Herts and Essex airbases. Work to revamp our Hertfordshire Airbase is reaching fruition with an array of new features that will enhance the service we can provide. Making the most of the £250,000 donation from the Government’s Libor fund, we have created functional new facilities for our clinical team to work and train in, plus a visitor area – set to open this Spring. In 2015, our Trustees announced their intention to strengthen our clinical service further by introducing an enhanced 5-strong team of regular clinical consultants. This April, three consultants will join us with a role to support the crews, guide teaching and training and boost resilience. The full team is expected to be in place by April 2017. Our volunteers do an amazing job! At the recent Air Ambulance Awards in London, I was so proud of Olive Nathan who was announced national Volunteer of the Year. Congratulations Olive and a big thank you to everyone who gives their time to support our Charity – see page 4. In December, I was bowled over to meet Lewis Hamilton at an event hosted by our corporate partner Epson. The occasion, to celebrate an outstanding year for the world class racing driver, prompted Lewis to donate one of his World Champion race suits to us – see page 5. Finally, a special mention to our founder, chairman and friend, Brian Shipley who sadly passed away last December. His inner strength and desire to constantly push boundaries to achieve clinical excellence was exemplary and everyone at EHAAT will remember him with great respect, admiration and affection.
Jane Gurney Chief Executive Officer Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust
WHAT’S INSIDE? 4 News from across our counties 6 Mission (Im)Possible - an incredible rescue at 100 ft 8 Everyone’s a winner - Lottery Update 9 Countdown to new aircraft 10 A Summer of Fundraising Fun 12 Get Trekking 14 Working together with our emergency service partners 16 Flying Doctors on life in Oz 18 Meet our fabulous fundraisers 20 What’s on in 2016?
Essex General Enquiries: 0345 241 7690 Herts General Enquiries: 0345 504 0055 Email: ContactUs@EHAAT.uk.com Website: EHAAT.uk.com Lottery Hotline: 0345 241 7688 Lottery Website: FlightforLifeLottery.uk.com To advertise in Flight For Life magazine call: 01787 226116 Published by: Symbian Print Intelligence www.symbiancreate.co.uk Editor: Jackie Brown Jackie.Brown@EHAAT.uk.com Cover shot: Clare Banks Ken Crowther, BBC Essex, launches our Summer of Open Gardens with sponsors Baby Bio Outdoor. Registered Charity number: 1108989 SPRING 2016
3
NEWS ROUND-UP
FROM ESSEX AND HERTS
It’s a dog’s life L
ast autumn, over 100 dogs brought their owners out for the Heli Hounds Dog Walk, a 5km stroll around Stevenage Park. They raised a grand total of £1,800. Thanks to dog behaviourist and trainer Adam Fehmi (right) who organised a ‘Doggy Warm-up’ and tag-makers Grahame Palmer and staff of Fairlands Valley Park who helped make this event so enjoyable. The
event was sponsored by The Balloon Room of Stevenage and Peter Makewell Installations of Potters Bar (PMI). Look out for our next Herts Heli Hounds taking place 16 October. Our Essex Heli Hounds walk took place in March. Over 350 Heli Hounds enjoyed a spring walk a spring walk around Marks Hall near Coggeshall, led by none other than Sadie Nine of BBC Essex and her cute pooch Tiger Lily.
TV’s dancing sensations Giovanni Pernice and Joanne Clifton wowed an 800-strong audience at ‘Strictly Air Ambulance’ our annual dancing extravaganza in Essex. The event, which has so far raised over £52,000, was sponsored by Countryside Properties, GCS Alarms Ltd and Jamesons Chartered Accountants. Impressing Giovanni, Joanne and fellow judges with her outstanding Rumba and Viennese Waltz, Jane Tierney and her professional partner Sam Jeffery, from
Two to Tango 4
EHAAT.UK.COM
Steps Ahead Dance School in Romford, were the overall champions – raising the Strictly Air Ambulance Glitter Ball at the end of the night.
Sadie Nine of BBC Essex
Jane Tierney from Colchester said: “It was an a-maz-ing evening and winning was just the icing on the cake.” Second place went to our Volunteer, Pam Corrie, from Chelmsford and her dance partner, John West. Critical Care Paramedic Phil Almond and partner Zoe Jeffery, gained third place. Contestants Graham Cherry, CEO of Countryside Properties and Clem Clements of Essex Police Motorcycle Unit, gained 4th and 5th places respectively. Jane Gurney said: “Hats off to all our brave contestants who worked so hard to create a spectacular show – we thoroughly enjoyed every performance and would like to thank them for all their fundraising too.”
To gain priority booking for 2017 visit: EssexAirAmbulance.uk.com
Lewis Hamilton with Jane Gurney, Adam Carr, Dr Ben Clarke and Maria Alexander
IN MEMORY • Jennifer Cope from Wakes Colne donated £1,847.76 to us after holding an exhibition and sale of Sculptures, Paintings and Embroideries by her late mother, Daphne Wells.
Lewis donates race suit A s Epson’s official charity partner, we were able to join the company’s celebrations to mark an incredible first season as official sponsors of the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team – joined by special guest Lewis Hamilton. We were bowled over when Lewis presented us with one of his race suits! Lewis said: “Hertfordshire is my home county, so the opportunity to visit Epson and its staff, as
well as help their nominated charity, Herts Air Ambulance, is personal and special to me. I have family connections to the area, so I’m delighted to donate a race suit to such a worthy cause. I won a race wearing it this season, so I hope it will have similar good fortune when it is used for fundraising.” Plans are now underway to host a grand auction in the summer – giving F1 fans, and our supporters, the opportunity to make this suit their very own.
Doors open at Ware Our first charity shop in Hertfordshire is now open! Tony Morris, a former airlifted patient who was struck by a truck on the A10 whilst cycling to work, joined us as our special guest to officially cut the ribbon on the new store. Mel Hitchcock, Ware Shop Coordinator, said:“We have been overwhelmed by the support and generosity from the people of Ware and beyond. Please do keep your donations coming in. Also, if any readers are looking to gain some retail experience, we have plenty of volunteering opportunities here in the shop.” Thanks to Peter Makewell Installations of Potters Bar who donated the shop’s new counter.
• In memory of his late father, who was attended by the Essex Air Ambulance, Warren Sargent from Coggeshall organised the ‘Stan Sargent Memorial Golf Day’ at his local club and raised £5,840! • Noel Heffer of Clacton who presented us with a cheque for £750 donated by friends and family in memory of his late wife Joy.
THANK YOU
Olive leaves At the national Air Ambulance Awards of Excellence 2015, Olive Nathan was crowned Volunteer of the Year. Olive opened a charity shop in Burnham on Crouch in aid of Essex Air Ambulance in 2006, and over that time has raised over £300,000. At the prestigious awards ceremony, Olive received her award from BBC TV presenter Rav Wilding. Olive said: “This award has been the icing on the cake for me, celebrating what has been a wonderful 10 years running Flying High.” Olive now hands over the reins of her thriving shop to Essex Air Ambulance. SPRING 2016
5
Essex Air Ambulance lands beside the cranes at Tilbury docks
Lou and Rik’s
I
t was just another ‘day at the office’ for site service engineer Stephen Murphy, as he made the 100 ft climb to carry out maintenance checks on one of the cranes at Tilbury Docks. At the age of 32, Stephen from Witham, Essex had gained over six years’ experience with his employer, routinely fitting and inspecting the cables that winched the massive containers from ship to dock. Accustomed to working at height, Stephen, with two fellow engineers, climbed two ladders and a flight of stairs to gain access to the cabins – confined and greasy spaces which housed the large machinery and drums of wire scrolls. Stephen explained: “In the cabins, you can’t help but walk close to the drums to gain access to the equipment but somehow I slipped. As the gears rotated at the side of the drum the steel toe cap on my right boot got caught in a gap at the side of the drum and every time the drum
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rotated it pulled my foot Rosson, arrived at the scene view from the crane cabin. and leg down with it. within half an hour of It caught my overalls, receiving the call. pulled me down Lou said: onto my left knee “After landing the and I just couldn’t helicopter down pull my foot free. in a tight space “I shouted to my between two cranes, colleague to turn the Rik and I scaled the machine off but my four sets of ladders right leg had gone a full to the top to find our rotation of the drum before the patient with an East of England machinery stopped. Although my leg was Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST) stretched, crushed and mangled, I strangely Paramedic who had made an assessment can’t remember the pain - only the pain in and started treatment. The environment my left knee which I had fallen onto and was cold, dark, greasy, uncomfortable, which I later discovered had been broken. claustrophobic and unfamiliar.” “I do remember calling the Port Engineers “It was at this point we realised that this to tell them I needed an ambulance!” incident was going to test us all to our limits. The Herts Air Ambulance with Helicopter My main role was to keep Stephen, Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) crew, as free from pain as possible, monitor Pilot Nicky Smith, Pre-hospital Care Doctor and communicate with him about our Rik Thomas and Critical Care Paramedic Lou plans and actions. I stayed by his side
for almost all of the 5-6 hours that we were on scene and it was important to keep Stephen involved in the decision making.” Stephen continued: “When the fire brigade crew arrived we all discussed how to get me out as the HEMS team didn’t want to amputate on site but wanted to get me out in one piece and to a hospital. “I was able to explain how the crane worked to guide their thinking. I think this is one of the things that helped me cope because it was 10.30 am when it happened and 5.30 pm when they cut me out – so I had six hours to gradually come to terms with the need to amputate.” Dr Rik Thomas said: “Amputating a young father’s leg is an irreversible decision with life-long consequences. As long as you have, or can create, time you want to be pretty sure you have explored all available options. “As it became clearer that an amputation was the only realistic solution, how this could be safely and humanely performed became a primary consideration. In the end the
best solution was to fly in two surgeons with field experience to perform the amputation whilst Lou and I managed the anaesthesia and extraction.” Pilot, Nicky, then flew off to collect a surgical team from a specialist hospital to bring the best skills to perform the operation. Stephen said: “Their difficulty was that I was kneeling in an upright positon and so, if they sedated me too much, they couldn’t support me. So they kept me kneeling right up until they were ready to amputate. All the equipment, and pain relief was ready around me and then the next thing I knew I woke up at Addenbrookes.“ Dr Rik added: “Stephen’s last words before we put him to sleep were, ‘I don’t want to remember this’, and it is gratifying to hear that Lou and I achieved this goal.”
WE CONTINUE TO TRAIN CLOSELY WITH OUR 999 EMERGENCY SERVICE PARTNERS TO BE PREPARED FOR PATIENT CARE ON CHALLENGING MISSIONS SUCH AS THIS
Stephen with his wife Sarah and sons Noah and Logan meet the crew.
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR PARTNERS WHO HELPED US IN THIS MISSION: Essex Fire and Rescue, with Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) East of England Ambulance Service Trust, with Hazardous Area Response Team (HART) Essex Police Tilbury Docks, staff and engineers
Lou explained: “Once Stephen was safely anaesthetised and ventilating and had been freed from the machinery, we worked closely together with our partners to get Stephen safely down the 100 foot drop using the fire crews’ Aerial Ladder Platform – keeping a breathing tube in place and ensuring he was ventilated effectively. We were then able to get Stephen, ourselves and the surgical team secured into the helicopter for the 20 minute flight back to the specialist hospital.” Now, over four years on Stephen is making great progress. He spent the first six months of his recovery in a wheelchair before receiving a prosthetic limb and is now able to be up and about enjoying family life with his sons – now aged four and six. Back at work for almost 18 months, Stephen and his family were also able to pay a visit to the Herts Air Ambulance airbase to thank the crew. Lou said: “It was absolutely fantastic to meet Stephen and his family. It is such a privileged job, to be able to help people like Stephen, and it made me very proud of the work our team does on a day to day basis, in particular on this day.“
• WINNER • Neil Sweeney won £22,063 in the Superdraw Neil said: “I signed up because the Air Ambulance had supported us at work events before and the work they do is fantastic. The majority of my winnings will be going towards a house deposit.”
Ticket to fly! Thanks to everyone who took part in our Winter Raffle – by buying raffle tickets and sending donations you have raised over £147,000!
John Cass from Colchester won £3,626 in the Superdraw John, 37 joined the lottery just under a year ago at his local supermarket, and has also supported us by riding in the Colne Valley Cycle Ride.
WINNER! £1,000!
Our Spring Raffle is now open and the draw takes place on 23rd May. If you’d like the chance to win £2,000 but haven’t received raffle tickets in the post, call the Hotline: 0345 601 6936. If you’ve received more tickets than you need, please simply recycle them.
Lucky Lottery! Playing the Flight for Life Lottery is one of the best ways to support the Charity and keeping both Air Ambulances flying. Meet four of our lucky lottery winners who recently hit the jackpot!
John said: “This win couldn’t have come at a better time! My wife turns 40 soon and I’m planning on taking her to St. Vincent in the Caribbean.”
£3,626
Jan Kerry from Tring won £3,606 in the Superdraw – and only joined the lottery two months ago Jan said: “Our daughter is a nurse in A&E and knows just how important the Air Ambulance is, so when I was approached by a canvasser to join it was an easy decision to make. This will help us buy a new car to replace our old one.”
WINNER! £3,606
• WINNER • Steve D’Ath from Romford won over £7,500 in January Steve said: “My new year certainly started with a bang when I received a call to let me know I had won the superdraw! “I shared my good news and winnings with my four children who have given me nine fantastic grandchildren and we are all going to go out to celebrate.” Steve surprised the crew with a donation for £1,000.
£7,500
EHAAT.UK.COM
WINNER!
• WINNER •
WINNER! 8
£22,063
• WINNER •
Our cash prizes of £2,000, £1,000 and £500 were won by Daniel Hendon of Hornchurch; Teresa Saunders of Great Bentley and Mrs Meakins from Burnham-On-Crouch. Teresa said: “I forgot I had even entered so I couldn’t believe I’d won – I just play to support the Air Ambulance so it was a great bonus.”
WINNER!
He added: “Of course the Charity must get something back so they can carry on the great work they do!”
In the last issue we asked readers for their views on how our new aircraft should look when we take delivery of them next year. We received over 200 responses and are now taking stock of everyone’s views to guide our future helicopter
The new Agusta Westland 169
branding.
COUNTDOWN TO
NEW AIRCRAFT Q&A with Operations Director, Cliff Gale Why do we need new aircraft? The lease on both our helicopters comes to an end in May 2017. Are we buying or leasing? It became clear when we started to receive costs to lease aircraft that over a 10 year period the Trust could save a considerable amount of money by buying an aircraft. This would also give us an asset worth several million pounds at the end of the contract period, which could be used to help purchase a replacement aircraft. So, following Trustee approval, this March we signed a contract with Medical Aviation Services (MAS) to purchase an Agusta Westland helicopter and also to lease a helicopter, similar to our current aircraft, the MD902 Explorer. Which helicopter are we buying? An Agusta Westland AW169 which is ideally suited to life-saving missions. It’s the largest of the helicopters we considered, giving us the maximum
internal cabin space for crew, patients and equipment so that, even whilst flying, we will have full access to the patient if necessary. It also boasts an Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) to run equipment on the ground such as monitors to illuminate the cabin without draining the battery, and Digital Automatic Flight Control to boost safety. It’s also capable of night flying, giving us the capability, if necessary, to broaden our service over the coming years. How much will it cost? Almost £6 million – a sum we have been able to meet thanks in part to the £1.5 million Libor funding made available to us by the Government.
However, the largest contribution comes from all the donations and support given to us by the people and businesses of Essex & Hertfordshire over recent years – a proportion of which we have been able to keep in reserve to enable this purchase. What happens to our current aircraft? They will return to the operator either for sale or to be deployed elsewhere in their fleet. How will the helicopters be maintained? Both aircraft will be maintained by Medical Aviation Services (MAS) – a company we have worked with for over eight years and which will continue to provide our highly-skilled pilots. What happens next?
Congratulations to Brenda Oliver from Jaywick who won the luxury ‘Tiptree Jam’ hamper in our winter issue, ’Countdown to new aircraft’ free prize draw, courtesy of Wilkin & Sons Ltd.
The Agusta Westland 169 will arrive in the UK around February 2017 and will be branded in EHAAT livery and undergo conversion to be an air ambulance ready for us to fly from June 2017. AUTUMN / WINTER 2015
9
Summer time is just around the corner and, as the days lengthen and temperatures rise, we’ve got some great ways to make the most of the sunshine, enjoy time together with friends and family, and help keep the Essex & Herts Air Ambulances flying.
Tea Pots to Flower Pots W
ho can resist the opportunity to share a cuppa and cake with friends and family? Well we’ve got the perfect opportunity to do just that - and help keep the Air Ambulances flying – with our ‘Royal Afternoon Teas.’ HRH Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 90th birthday this June, and, to mark the occasion, we’ve given our popular Afternoon Teas event a Royal twist - so get out your best china, perfect those cucumber sandwiches -– and enjoy. Essex flour millers, W & H Marriage & Sons of Chelmsford, are joining the celebrations by
sharing with us their baking secrets and offering a hamper of locally milled specialist baking flours for our Royal Afternoon Tea free prize draw – open to everyone who hosts an event. Hannah Marriage said: “Good luck to everyone who gets baking and donating for the Air Ambulance. For me, the secret of baking a fabulous cake is to use the best ingredients and here at Marriage’s we’ve been milling quality flour since 1824. Try our tried and tested Victoria Sponge recipe to see and taste the difference for yourselves.”
1-30 June
Ju st bake and donate
Don’t miss out on the Royal tea party of the year! Register now to receive a Royal Afternoon Tea fundraising pack and free gift! Email AfternoonTea@EHAAT.uk.com or call 0345 241 7690
!
Celebrate the Quee n's 90th Birthday by hosting your own Royal Afternoon Tea and raise funds for Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Invite your friends, family and neighbours along for a rather Royal occasion
Get your free fundra ising pack by calling 0345 241 7690, email AfternoonTea@EHA AT.uk.com or visit EHAAT.uk.com Registered Charity
P
roud of your garden? We’re encouraging our ‘green fingered’
supporters to open their gardens to
government funded, considering how many
family, friends and neighbours this
lives are saved by this amazing service. So I’m
summer, as part of our ‘Summer of Open
keen to inspire as many gardeners as possible
Gardens’ sponsored by Baby
to get involved. For me
Bio® Outdoor.
it’s not about creating the
Gardening guru, Ken
1 0 EHAAT.UK.COM
Ken said: “It’s hard to believe that such an important resource as the Air Ambulance is not
perfect garden but simply
Crowther, who has presented
about sharing the joy of
BBC Essex’s Saturday gardening
gardening – and doing
programme for almost 30 years
some good along the
is backing the campaign.
way.”
1108989
Victoria Sandwich Recipe Preparatio n time
20 minutes / Baking time 25 minutes
What
you will need Heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/ Gas 4. Makes one large cake Put the soft butter and sugar into a bowl and beat with an electric Cuts into 12
whisk or mixer, or a wooden spoon, until very light and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl from time to time with a rubber spatula. Beat the eggs and vanilla with a fork until well mixed then gradually beat into the butter mixture, beatin g well after each addition. Sift the flour onto the mixture, add the milk and carefully fold in with a large metal spoon.
Divide the mixture between the two tins and spread evenly. Bake
in the heated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a light golden brown and the sponge springs back when gently pressed. Run a round-bladed knife around the inside of the tins to loosen the sponges then turn out on a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
Set one sponge upside down on a serving plate and spread with the jam. Top with the whole or sliced berries. Whip the cream until it thickens and stands in soft peaks – do this carefu lly to avoid over beating and ruining the cream. Spread the cream over the berries then gently set the second sponge, golden crust side uppermost, on top and gently but firmly press down to sandwich the cakes.
For the sponge cake
175g unsalted butter, at room temp
175g caster sugar 3 large free-range eggs ½ teaspoon vanilla essence 175g Marriage’s Self Raising Flour 1 tablespoon milk, at room temp
For the filling
4 rounded tablespoons good jam: raspberry, strawberry or blackberry 200g berries: raspberries, strawberries (hulled and sliced if large), or blackberries 150ml double or whipping cream, well chilled
Icing sugar for dusting 2 x 20.5cm/ 8 in sandwich tins, greased and base-lined
Dust with icing sugar. Keep cool until ready to serve. Store in an airtight container in
Rec
Victo r 1. Heat o
Just a taster…
B utter two 20 no n-stick bak beat all the ca yo u have a sm
Here’s a flavour of what supporters D ivide th did in 2015: smoo th
2.
the sur back of a spoo un The residents of Saffrtilongo lden an pressed. Turn o Lodge in Saffron Wal to coden, ol co mp lete
along with their families, enjo yed cupcakes, tea andTo make th coffee in suppun orttil smoo th and beat in icing suga of the event yo
3.
u’re us ing it. S
thm e bo oftto m of one Lianne Fincha jam and sa
ndw ich her clients edon Co ggeshall entertainsp ge on top. Du with wesh ith aall little icing at The Salon in Co gg e defocak me su ho gama a d r be re servi a cup of tea an Kee icep in an airtight of their cho co ntainer and ea t w ithin 2 days.
the fridge and eat within 2 days.
Sarah Gall of Berkhamsted invited 50 frie nds to tea with sandwiches, sco nes and cake. She asked each of her guests to donate £5 to the Charity
Baker’s Tip: For the best results
take the butter and eggs out of the fridge an hour or so before you start, and chill the cream well.
Linda Priestly of Harlo w The fund-raising initiative, takes place
If you’re taking part, you’ll want your garden looking its best. Baby Bio® Outdoor,
across Essex and Hertfordshire from April
offers gardeners a unique formulation with
to September. Simply register the date of
bio-stimulants, to help plants take up and use
your event with us, then encourage all your
the nutrients to provide longer lasting, vibrant
visitors to make a donation on the day. The Summer of Open
blooms and greenery. To get you off to a good start, Baby Bio is ®
Gardens Fundraising Pack
giving away a hamper of products worth £50,
is available now. Email
to nourish plants and keep weeds and slugs
opengardens@EHAAT.uk.com
at bay, to the winner drawn at random from
or call 0345 241 7690.
everyone who signs up by 30 June to take part in our Summer of Open Gardens.
her held an afternoo n tea in s, garden for about 30 guest ved but instead of tea she ser d an hes Pimms, sandwic ho memade cake!
Baby Bio® is a registered trademark of Bayer CropScience.
SPRING 2016 1 1
On your marks! Get Trek! Our annual treks offer a gateway to some of the most far-flung parts of the globe, including Nepal, The Grand Canyon, and next year, the Slovenian Alps. In 2015, Trek Cambodia (organised in association with Global Adventure Challenges) saw 27 trekkers walk a total of 87km during an epic 5-day challenge, in scorching temperatures, that explored the country’s local culture and villages, temples, mountains and stunning landscapes. The result – our trekkers raised an astonishing £54,000
READY TO TREK? FIRST TIME TREKKER, SARAH PACKARD, SHARES HER EXPERIENCES OF GETTING STARTED.
Plus, it would help a worthy cause. I thought about it off and on for a couple of weeks and then signed up before I could change my mind.
WHAT MADE YOU SIGN UP? I was driving to work one dull winter morning, when I heard a feature on the radio asking for volunteers to sign-up for a trek in Cambodia to raise money for the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust.
WHAT CHALLENGES DID YOU FACE? For me the biggest challenge wasn’t walking 87km in 90% humidity (although that was hard) it was getting pro-active, raising awareness of EHAAT and finding ways and means of raising the necessary £3,300.
I was bored with the hum-drum commute to work and it was raining! So the prospect of trekking in a place like Cambodia sounded exciting!
1 2 EHAAT.UK.COM
GO!!
HOW DID YOU RAISE FUNDS? I set up a JustGiving site to receive sponsorship. I ran two successful quiz evenings, sold home-made cakes, organised a fancy dress day at work, held a garden party with a Cambodian theme, did a couple of bucket collections (organised by EHAAT) and collected money from the public whilst Morris dancing. Basically, I made a nuisance of myself to everyone that knows me! HOW DID YOU PREPARE? As well as fundraising, I read up on the history and background of Cambodia, started an exercise programme to improve my fitness, bought the necessary kit (I needed new boots, rucksack, sleeping bag, walking poles etc.) and researched the climate and vaccinations that would be required. I also went on a couple of “training” walks and a training weekend, both organised by the Charity. These were great ways to meet some of the people I would be spending the week with and I have made new (and I hope long-lasting) friendships. DID YOU ENJOY IT? The trek was hot, exhausting, fun, memorable and most importantly thoroughly enjoyable with great comradeship, support and camaraderie from everyone that went, including the guides. WOULD YOU DO IT AGAIN? I would love to do another trek in a year or two! I hope to keep in touch with everyone that went on Trek Cambodia.
TREK THE SLOVENIAN ALPS 16 17 – 22 September 20 Highlights include: • Cable car ride and hike to the summit of Mount Vogel • Trek along the ridge of Lower Bohinj Mountains We’re now taking bookings for our next challenge – trekking the Slovenian Alps, organised in association with Classic Tours.
Call us for details!
• Explore the Triglav Seven Lakes Valley • Hike from Blake Lake to Double Lake • See Krn Lake, Slovenia’s largest high-altitude lake • Explore the Lepena valley and lowland Lake Bled
SPRING 2016 1 3
HEMS crew arrive on the scene
Military Precision
Jim Green (centre)
A
multi vehicle incident on the M25, involving a number of cars, heavy goods vehicles and even a loaded horse trailer (with mannequin horses), was the scenario for a multi-agency training exercise organised by our Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) team. ‘Exercise Kingsway’, which took place in October, brought together over 150 personnel from frontline emergency and support services across the eastern region to tackle a real-life emergency situation as it unfolded in real time. Ben Myer Clinical Manager at EHAAT said: “It’s not until a multi-casualty incident occurs that we know how we will react or manage these situations, so it’s important to train so that we can develop good practice and learn lessons for the future. We were delighted to be joined by the military, who brought an extra dimension and element to this exercise.” Jim Green, Animal Rescue Specialist for Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service said: “The presence of animals creates an unpredictable hazard for emergency responders to deal with. When they are anxious or injured, they resort to natural instinct and can react violently to anything that seems a threat.” This is the second multi-agency exercise organised by EHAAT. The exercises are a response to the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP) established in 2013 by the Home Office to improve the way the Police, Fire & Rescue, Ambulance Services and other organisations work together when responding to major multi-agency incidents. 1 4 EHAAT.UK.COM
The Household Cavalry
Thanks to a generous grant of £8,553 from the Friends of Braintree Community Hospital we have been able to purchase a mannequin for use in exercises like this. These simulators help to ensure that our crews are well prepared for such incidents.
In Brief • ETL Gun Club held their
Thank you:
involving the ab-duck-tion
September. Since supporting
of a well-loved rubber duck
Essex Air Ambulance in
from the Half Moon pub
2007, they have raised a
in Bishops Stortford, raised
staggering £31,500!
£411 after the town rallied
• Blackwater Country
Students from Anglia Ruskin University, University College London, St Bartholomew’s Hospital and The London Medical Schools took part as ‘casualties’. Thanks to our Emergency Partners who took part: Essex Police, Essex County Fire & Rescue Service (ECFRS) and Urban Safety & Rescue (USAR); East of England Ambulance Service Trust’s Hazardous Area Response Team (HART); BJG Heavy Rescue; BASICS Essex Accident & Rescue Service (BEARS); British Animal Rescue and Trauma Care (BARTA) and The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment.
• A charity kidnap stunt
annual Charity Clay Shoot in
Show celebrated its 10th Anniversary in 2015, raising
to raise the “ransom” demanded for its safe return. • A big thank you to MRH
£5,500 – bringing the total
Landrover who have raised
raised for us to over £51,350!
£2,727.79 by donating £2
• Fat Face in Epping raised over £889 for us via ‘Thanks for Giving’ - a company-wide
from every MOT test to Herts Air Ambulance and Headway. • Poplar Nurseries in Marks
campaign to fundraise for
Tey raised £1,460 for
charity rather than discount
Essex Air Ambulance at its
goods on Black Friday.
Annual Christmas Charity Night in November 2015.
✁
How can you help? Simply return this form to: Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust, Flight House, The Business Centre, Earls Colne Business Park, Earls Colne, Colchester, Essex CO6 2NS. Or email the area(s) which interest you with your contact details to: ContactUs@EHAAT.uk.com or telephone 0345 241 7690. For more information about donating online, please visit us at EHAAT.uk.com. Thank you for your support. FULL NAME
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I confirm I have paid or will pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax for each tax year (6 April to 5 April) that is at least equal to the amount of tax that all the charities or Community Amatuer Sports Clubs (CASCs) that I donate to will reclaim on my gifts for that tax year. I understand that other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify. I understand the Charity will reclaim 25p of tax on every £1 that I give for current and future years.
SIGNATURE DATE If you do not pay sufficient tax to cover the amount the Charity may reclaim, you may have to pay over the additional tax reclaimed by the Charity to HMRC. Please notify us if you wish to cancel this declaration, change your name or address or no longer pay sufficient Income and/or Capital Gains Tax.
Please be assured your details will NOT be passed on to other organisations Occasionally, the Charity would like to send you additional news and information about EHAAT in the post. Please tick if you do not want to receive Charity news.
FLYING DOCTORS W
hat makes our Air Ambulance service so special is the ability to bring Pre-Hospital Care Doctors to the scene of an incident. Our Doctors typically work with us for 6 months to a year; every Doctor has reached a senior level - practising as registrars or consultants, and are able to undertake at the scene advanced clinical care normally only found in the Hospital Emergency Department. Competition to fly with us is fierce and so we are able to recruit some of the best doctors from around the globe.
1 6 EHAAT.UK.COM
O
ur Pre-Hospital Care Doctor Chris Groombridge joined EHAAT after spending 8 years working in Australia, most recently in New South Wales with the Sydney Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS). Here he compares working life at opposite ends of the globe. “I’m currently spending a year flying with EHAAT. Although an Essex boy, I was born in Hornchurch, I now speak with a distinct ‘Aussie twang’ and, after falling completely in love with the country, have become a fully fledged Australian citizen. “My time at EHAAT has been fantastic and I have really been made to feel like one of the family! Although there are many similarities between flying in Australia and flying in the UK, there are many contrasts too. “For one thing the view out the window of the helicopter can be quite different; after taking patients to one of the trauma centres in the northern part of the city we would often fly home over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House! “At EHAAT we employ a rapid launch system which serves a relatively small geographical area. All jobs here are designated ‘primary taskings’ which means that we are rapidly dispatched to the scene of an accident, or a medical emergency, bringing a critical care team to the patient as quickly as possible. “With Sydney HEMS, in addition to these ‘primary taskings’, we are also dispatched to ‘secondary missions’ . These involve flying patients from smaller, often remote, hospitals in oddly named places such as Coonabarabran or Wagga Wagga, to larger tertiary centres within the city. Transport distances can be very long – some lasting up to 7 hours - so some missions need to be undertaken using an air
Doctor Chris Groombridge
ambulance airplane, instead of the helicopter. “These extended missions need careful planning and the cramped space within the airplane essentially becomes a mini intensive care unit with advanced ventilators, monitoring and numerous infusion devices. In the UK most secondary transfers between hospitals are undertaken using regular road ambulances. “With Sydney HEMS we also had the capacity to winch patients, for example those injured in precarious places such as cliff edges or on dense forest trails. In the UK winching operations are generally the reserve of the coast guard service and military operations. “Perhaps surprisingly I didn’t have to transport anybody who had been bitten by a shark, spider or snake! In general the patients needing the HEMS team in Sydney were suffering the same problems as here in Essex and Hertfordshire: being involved in trauma or medical emergencies.”
Chris’ view of Sydney from the cockpit
D
octor Ben Clarke joined EHAAT in July 2012 having spent a few years working in Australia flying with Careflight Medical Services (helicopter), The Royal Flying Doctors (aeroplane) & Emergency Management Queensland – a Search & Rescue government-funded helicopter. “Unlike Chris, I did treat at least two very sick patients following snake-bites (one a Great Eastern Brown Snake, the other a Taipan – the world’s most dangerous). “My longest single-leg flying time for a job was 2.5hrs in an aeroplane flying almost 1,000 miles to get to the patient. “The biggest challenge is the tyranny of distance for patients – they are so far from specialist care. I’ve known missions take up to 10 hours to complete.”
Doctor Ben Clarke
SPRING 2016 1 7
Chris Philpot at the South Pole
Fabulous Fundraisers EVERY WEEK OUR SUPPORTERS DO AMAZING THINGS TO RAISE MONEY FOR US – OFTEN OVERCOMING PERSONAL AND PHYSICAL HURDLES TO ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS An Essex farmer followed in the footsteps of heroic explorer Ernest Shackleton by trekking across Antarctica to reach the South Pole. Chris Philpot, joined a group of 12 trekkers – among them former SAS sergeant turned author Andy McNab. The 2015 expedition set out on 25 November to follow some of the route that Shackleton and his team would have taken in November 1915 had their ship, Endurance, not become trapped in the ice, with an aim to reach the South Pole by 15 December. Chris said: “It was a spur of the moment decision to join the group.” Chris raised an astonishing £11,000 for Essex Air Ambulance.
Adrenalin seeking, Mark Mangin, from Stevenage raised over £1,900 for Herts Air Ambulance, after abseiling down the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth. After successfully descending 330 feet down the iconic landmark tower, Mark presented his cheque to the crew at the Herts Air Ambulance airbase. Mark said: “It was a real eye opener and a fantastic experience. I really enjoyed doing the challenge and I look forward to raising more money next year by taking part in another abseil.”
1 8 EHAAT.UK.COM
Kathryn Lowe, from Harlow, overcame a the door was closed, i realised plan B had been fear of heights to skydive! taken out of the equation – to run away. “When I turned 40 I realised life just When altitude reached 10,000 feet the door happens and far too quickly! As a person with on the plane opened. The thought that kept a terrific fear of heights I started looking at me going was, wow I am going to do this! ways of controlling my I rocked forward and fear and thought ‘what on the count of three I could be the worst was free falling, arms in thing ever to do?’ I position and secured to my looked at videos of instructor. The wind against skydiving and decided you as you fall at 120mph to plan a jump. almost feels like it's holding I paid my deposit, you up. Suddenly, like the Kathryn on her skydive put Essex Air emergency breaks had Ambulance as my chosen charity, and started been put on, we seemed to almost come to watching sky-diving videos. a halt as the canopy opened. Now I could The day of the jump came and the weather finally communicate with my instructor and was amazing. Still I kept calm, my family we watched our plane land and took stock of were far more nervous than me. We had a the views. briefing on how to leave the plane and land Would I do it again? Yes, in a heartbeat. and I met the other guys jumping for Essex Air I raised £857 for an amazing charity and Ambulance. battled a massive phobia. Thank you Essex Air We got harnessed up, met our trainers and Ambulance, you have helped me more than camera man and boarded the little plane. Once you know. One of our brilliant fundraisers, Ben Usher, successfully climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and raised over £2,800 for Herts Air Ambulance
Bel on a bike
Brian Shipley with his wife, Diane
At just 5 years old, Isobel took up the challenge to cycle forty miles for Essex Air Ambulance - raising almost £1,250. Isobel Pilsworth from Grundisburgh, had the idea for her cycle ride after her dad, Simon, suffered a cardiac arrest whilst taking part in a 40 mile fundraising cycle ride with his work colleagues at Seven Asset Management, Ipswich. Five miles from the finish line, Simon collapsed and was immediately given by-stander CPR by his first-aid trained colleagues. Essex Air Ambulance reached the scene within minutes and, after stabilising Simon, flew him along with wife Claire, to Norwich and Norfolk Hospital.
In memory of Brian
I
t is with much sadness that we share the news that Brian Shipley, our Founder and Chair of Trustees, passed away last December after a long battle with cancer. Brian had been an instrumental part of the Charity from the very beginning, working hard to secure funds in order to launch the very first Essex Air Ambulance helicopter back in 1998. Brian became a Charity Trustee in 2006 following recovery from his first bout of cancer. Just a year later he was elected Chairman, leading us through many significant milestones including the transition of Essex Air Ambulance from a small local Charity to the Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust; responsible for both the Essex and Herts Air Ambulance Helicopter Emergency Medical Services. EHAAT would not be in the strong position it is today without his unique style of leadership, humour and determination – he was one very special man and we are immensely grateful for all that he achieved for EHAAT.
Simon said: “Isobel came up with the idea all by herself – at first she wanted to cycle five miles to, in her words, “finish Daddy’s ride” but then she was keen to keep going and do the full 40 miles which she completed in lots of smaller rides – we’re all really proud of her.” Warwick Dunnett, Managing Director of Seven Asset also supported Isobel’s Charity ride. He said: “To say we are proud is an understatement, when a five year old decides that something can be done and then delivers, as Isobel has, you can’t help but be inspired from such drive.”
Isobel on her visit to Essex Air Ambulance to present her cheque
Thank you …to Just Wheel Repair for
Parlour (Earls Colne),
…to our Entrepreneurs
…to our Heart of Herts
being the headline sponsor of
International Food Link
Challenge sponsors E Hobbs
Casino Night sponsors
the 24/100 campaign taking
Limited, NFU Mutual (Earls
(Farm), James Hallam,
Medical Aviation Services
place in March 2016
Colne Branch), David
Medical Aviation Services
(MAS) and Simon Cox
…to our Essex Heli Hound
Watson Transport and
(MAS), Anglia Ruskin
at Cordell Maintenance
sponsors Millennium Vets
O’Donovan Waste
University and ADM.
Services.
(Braintree), Bubbles Pet
Disposal Ltd.
…to Epson for sponsoring our Herts’ Summer Tour.
GET IN TOUCH
Write to us: Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust, We love hearing your fundraising news Flight House, The Business Centre, and receiving your feedback. Earls Colne, Call us: 0345 241 7690 Colchester, Essex CO6 2NS
Email us: ContactUs@EHAAT.uk.com Follow us on Twitter: @Essexairamb @Hertsairamb /Essexairambulance /Hertsairambulance
What’s on in 2016? APRIL
APR Summer of Open Gardens TO Open your garden to family and friends SEP - call now for your fundraising pack
MER SUM of open
16 Gauntlet Games Register by 12 April for this 5k or 10k obstacle course race
GARDENS
MAY
01 Herts Motorcycle Run A 60 mile ride from Welwyn Garden City to North Weald Airbase 01 Essex Motorcycle Show At North Weald Airfield – and sign up on the day for Essex Motorcycle Ride!
22 Colne Valley Cycle Ride A 50 mile, 20 mile and 3 mile family ride around the Colne Valley JUNE
4-5
Nightrider London Fundraise for us on this 100km moonlit, city cycle ride
26 Herts Cycle Ride A 50 mile, 20 mile and 12 mile family ride from Hertfordshire County Council. Register now for your free T-shirt and fundraising pack
1-30 June
1–30 Royal Afternoon Tea Celebrate the Queen’s 90th birthday and help raise vital funds
Ju st bake and do
nate!
Celebrate the Queen's 90th Birthday by hosting your own Royal Afternoo n Tea and raise fund s for Essex & Herts Air Ambulance
0345 241 7690
JULY
09
Acrobatic Day Team Kinetix display of parkour, free-running and acrobatics in Chelmsford High Street
Invite your friends, family and neighbours along for a rather Royal occasion
Get your free fundraising pack by calling 0345 241 7690, email AfternoonTea@EH AAT.uk.com or visit EHAA T.uk.com Registered Charity
15-17 Base2Base Walk A 3-day, 50 mile challenge walking from Herts to Essex Air bases with overnight camping. Register online today!
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LOCAL s for your Raise fund nce Charity! la Air Ambu
To find out more or to register for any of our events, please call
16-17 Marks Hall Garden and Country Show 30 Acrobatic Day
or visit: EssexAirAmbulance. uk.com or HertsAirAmbulance. uk.com
Team Kinetix display of parkour, free-running and acrobatics in Town Centre, Hemel Hempstead SEPTEMBER
11 Motorcycle Run & Harwich Family Festival Sign up now for 2016
E info pack call For your FRE 5 or email 0345 504 005 T.uk.com EH Trek@ AA target required aising
*Minimum fundr
Charity Registered
1108989
ESSEX AIR AMBULANCE
motorcyclerun & HARWICH FAMILY FESTIVAL
17-22 Slovenian Alps trek Explore the dramatic and breath-taking scenery of Slovenia on this action-packed challenge as you fundraise for a good cause. 19-25 National Air Ambulance Week Raising awareness of local air ambulance services across the country
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