Spring
Seeing Devon’s flora and fauna burst into colour at this time of year, always makes me think of the tireless work undertaken by Devon’s incredible local farmers. These hardy characters often work in dangerous, hard to reach parts of our beautiful rural landscape and regularly alone. Between 2020 and 2022 we attended close to 100 incidents involving farm workers and it is with this in mind that we are looking to further develop our working relationships with the farming community in order to better understand their needs so that we can improve our delivery of vital, lifesaving care (read more about this on page 18).
The theme of new beginnings continued with The King’s Coronation and the associated ‘Big Help Out’ event that offered the people of Devon a chance to attend one of our volunteer open days where they could learn more about our work and the different roles available. We were totally overwhelmed by the incredible influx of support that this event generated, so I would like to extend a huge thank you to all of the staff and volunteers who made these open days possible (more on page 32).
Looking ahead, we have an incredible summer of events and fundraising activities to attend across Devon. At the time of writing we are booked in at over 20 (!) so be sure to enjoy the temperate weather and come along to support us. Highlights include the Axe Vale Show in Axminster, Armed Forces Day in Plymouth, as well as the Mid Devon Show in Tiverton and Torbay’s Pride event (Show details on page 8).
Patient
Fundraising
Retail
Retail
Our Fundraisers
Patient Story
Agricultural Incidents
Volunteer
Heléna Holt Chief Executive Officer
Publisher Heléna Holt
h.holt@daat.org
Editor Gareth Peebles g.peebles@daat.orgAdvertising Sales Gaynor Garton 020 3283 4055
Design Silver Foxes Publishing 01803 842893
Contributors
Richard Wilson RHS
ISSN (Print) 2055-2343
ISSN (Online) 2055-2351
Subscriber queries & address changes:
j.jameson@daat.org
G-DAAS in Brixham
Issue No.33
Spring 2023
Next issue
Autumn/Winter 2023
© All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or used in any form without prior permission of the publishers. All material is sent at the owner’s risk and whilst every care is taken, Devon Air Ambulance Trust will not accept liability for loss or damage. Every effort has been taken to ensure the accuracy of our content but the publishers cannot be held responsible for any omissions, errors or alterations or for the consequences of any reliance on these details; neither can they vouch for the accuracy of claims made by any advertiser. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the publishers.
has finally sprung in Devon and with it, new life, new beginnings and a fresh start for all. Not least so for our new-look Helipad magazine, which you hold in your hands!
The paper industry’s supply lines have long been under scrutiny, arguably more than many other industries. As such, printers have long sought to make their business sustainable while serving their clients’ print needs.
The paper industry’s key raw material, wood fibre, absorbs carbon from the atmosphere as it grows, and this is locked up for the duration of the fibre’s life cycle. Trees and other vegetation absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere as they grow and a proportion of it is locked-up in wood fibre. Healthy forest will contain approximately 30% of the sequestered carbon in its biomass, and another 70% will be held in the soil.
Appropriate replanting and responsible forest management ensures long-term carbon stocks are maintained. By using carbon balanced paper, we can prevent a rise in carbon emissions. The World Land Trust’s mission is to create and protect forest areas, which then absorb the equivalent amount of carbon that we would have contributed to carbon emissions.
So far the World Land Trust has secured 770,000 acres of threatened habitats in 19 countries, with support from Sir David Attenborough (their Patron), Steve Backshall, David Gower and Chris Packham. It has proved to be one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to reduce carbon in the atmosphere.
Our new printers, Pollards, has offered us the chance to offset our carbon emissions generated through the production of Helipad by choosing a carbon balanced product. Pollards calculates the cost using a carbon-balanced calculator, which calculates the amount of carbon saved and land preserved. This then generates a carbon-balanced confirmation certificate. The World Land Trust updates our printers on the square meters of threatened forest we have protected.
Over the past 5 years Pollards has contributed to a greener supply chain in holding their suppliers to a high environmental credential level, while making continuous efforts to minimise its carbon impact in every aspect of the business. We look forward to drawing on their their expertise as we move ahead.
You may have noticed that this edition feels a little different to past editions, and that’s because we have made some fresh choices with our print production. But changes go beyond a move from coated to uncoated paper...
Thank you to readers who responded to the survey we sent out in our last Helipad edition.
We are so grateful to Ali Simpson for her amazing work as Editor of Helipad over recent years. Now production sits with the Devon Air Ambulance Comms team, we took the opportunity to gather reader feedback so we could find out how we can continue to offer you a great read, while ensuring production is financially and environmentally sustainable. Here’s what we learned from you.
You told us that the current combination of charity-specific stories and lifestyle content suited you. Moving forward our aim is to anchor more lifestyle content in the stories of our supporters – so get in touch if you have any ideas!
We always welcome stories from our former patients as it’s those stories that help people to understand our work. If you have a story that you’d like to share, please contact us at comms@daat.org and tell us about your experiences, no matter how long ago it was.
Most people who replied said they enjoyed hearing about our campaign activity and many people were keen to hear more about what we are doing to raise funds for and awareness of the organisation. So keep your eyes peeled for future updates!
Helipad goes out to over 30,000 people in Devon, and you can also pick up a copy from one of our charity shops. We are active in communities across the county, so where possible we try to include items that relate to many of those places, rural and urban, inland or coastal. To keep up to date with more community news, follow our social media channels, or sign up to our supporters’ newsletter by visiting daat.org/#newsletter.
To make our funds go further, we have reduced the number of editions of your free Helipad magazine from three to two a year, and the number of pages from 52 to 48, with no significant loss of content. This has helped us to make greater savings on production. Remember, if you sign up to our monthly e-newsletter you will still hear all the latest charity news between editions!
A big thanks to everyone who submitted comments too - it was great to read so much positive feedback. These comments have also encouraged changes that will have a positive environmental impact.
If you would like to offer more insights and thoughts about the future and direction of Helipad, we welcome your thoughts at: helipad@daat.org
A big thanks to everyone who submitted comments too - it was great to read so much positive feedback. These comments have also encouraged changes that will have a positive environmental impact
“ ”
Earlier this year, Caroline was riding her horse Clyde, along with her friend Holly on Aylesbeare Common. Clyde is a purebred Clydesdale and described by Caroline as “a gentle giant and very placid, despite his 17.3 hands!”
As they rode along, Clyde was suddenly spooked by a noise in the hedgerow – it was only a handful of inquisitive wild horses however, Clyde bolted and started to buck and rear up. Caroline held on tightly but on the third buck she tried to grab hold of his mane but was thrown off.
Caroline recalled, “As Clyde bolted, I remember shouting out to Holly, ‘Here we go again, this is going to hurt!’ and within seconds I fell on to the rough track with big stones and rubble beneath me.”
Caroline felt immediate pain in her right hip as her body hit the ground. Her shoulder was also hurting. Meanwhile, Clyde had bolted off across the common and Caroline’s friend Holly was shouting for help as she held onto her horse amid all the commotion. Thankfully Clyde came strolling back to the scene of the incident by himself leaving poor Holly holding on to two horses.
A couple of walkers in the vicinity of the incident were able to help – one, a nurse called Julie, called 999 and another firstaider and as they gathered around Caroline, a group of wild horses also started to take an interest in the patient.
Our Exeter- based helicopter was the first of the emergency services to arrive at the scene. It was already airborne, having been on its way to Plymouth and stood down, it was returning to base when the crew received the report of Carolines fall.
Caroline explains, “It felt like the helicopter had arrived so quickly, it was literally there within just four or five minutes. The emergency call handler informed us that the air ambulance was on its way and within minutes we heard it overhead, the land ambulance arrived not long afterwards.”
As she heard the helicopter come in to land, Caroline new that help was coming but also thought that she that she must have done something fairly serious for Devon Air Ambulance to be attending. Her fingers were beginning to feel numb and tingly and that’s when she started to cry due to the overwhelming sense of relief.
Caroline continues, “The crew that attended me were Specialist Paramedic Cat McMorrow, Dr Lauren Weekes and Captain Rich Applegarth, they were all amazing! Ironically, I found out later that Cat was also airlifted by the air ambulance 15 years ago after a similar fall from her horse and suffering arm and shoulder injuries. The crew were brilliant from the moment they arrived to the treatment I received and throughout my helicopter ride they even covered my eyes from the glaring sun as I lay on the stretcher.”
After being stabilised at the scene, Caroline was airlifted to the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital where she had x-rays of her
Caroline has full recollection of the incident as her riding helmet protected her head in the fall. She has strict instructions not to ride until at least the end of May and is tentatively looking forward to it.
Caroline was keen to make sure that everyone knew how grateful she was for the treatment she received and has even started to look at ways in which she can fundraise for us in the future:
“I can’t thank the Devon Air Ambulance crew enough. They do a fantastic job and were able to really keep my spirits up while helping me at the scene of the accident and on board the helicopter. I even got a call a couple of days after the accident from their Patient and Family Support Team to see how I was feeling and if I had any questions for them. They really are the best and Devon can’t afford to be without them. Our local horse shop and café, Hidden Oak, have offered to help us with some fundraising activities. So watch this space as we’re planning an event soon. All I can say is I am grateful to those who enabled me to receive the care that I did, so please do donate to this wonderful cause if you can.”
I’m not overly nervous about riding again but won’t know until I’m sat in the saddle. This is my third accident whilst riding Clyde in the last 8 years so here’s hoping he behaves himself and stays calm
“ ”
We have pop up shops making an appearance at Devon County Show, Axe Vale Show, Totnes Show and Mid Devon Show. So please come along, meet Ambrose and join the fun!
Sunday 28th
Bike show, stalls, live music & food
Bideford Quay, Bideford EX39 2HW
Saturday 17th
An amazing day celebrating diversity and providing support for the LGBT+ family in East Devon. Manor Gardens, EX8 1BB
Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th
A show designed to highlight the best that Axminster and surrounding areas have to offer. The show offers displays, entertainment and shopping.
Axe Vale Showground, Axminster EX13 5PJ
Armed Forces Day
Saurday 24th
An exciting day to support the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community. You can explore military vehicles, tackle the Royal Marines challenging activities. Enjoy the bands, parades and live music.
Plymouth Hoe, Plymouth PL1 2PA
JULY
Saturday 22nd
A lot to discover at the rural show. There will be nonstop entertainment, produce, livestock area, shopping, classic vehicles, food and you can learn more about farm life and the local history.
Knightshayes, Tiverton, EX16 7PP
Wednesday 26th
Horses, sheet, goats, countryside arena, crafts. Kitley Lawns Yealmpton, Plymouth PL8 2NN
Sunday 30th
A day out to enjoy with friends and family. An agricultural show with a music stage, horses, craft area and food all day to enjoy.
Great Court Farm, Berry Pomeroy, Totnes TQ9 9EN
Woolsery Show
Monday 31st
Livestock, crafts, foods, machinery. Clovelly Court EX39 5TA
North Devon Show
Wednesday 2nd
You can enjoy traditional countryside crafts, livestock, food, animal education centre, BMX display, circus and fairground, along with pony club games, carriage driving games and hounds.
Umberleigh EX37 9DX
Honiton Show
Thursday 3rd
The 132nd agricultural show offers the best of local farming. Families can also enjoy local produce, food, crafts and rural skills.
Honiton Showground, Honiton EX14 3AW
Exford Show
Wednesday 9th
Crafts, sheep, ponies.
Rooksmead, Church Hill, Exford TA24 7PP
Okehampton Show
Thursday 10th
Animals, food, shopping & entertainment.
Stoney Park Showground, Okehmapton EX20 4LP
Chagford Show
Thursday 17th
Agricultural and horticultural show.
Dogmarsh Fields, Mill End, Chagford TQ13 8JN
Holsworthy Show
Thursday 24th
125th show with animals and activities
Killatree Cross, Pyworthy, Holsworthy EX22 6LP
Torbay Pride
Saturday 2nd
The parade will head to Torre abbey meadows where the main event and stage will come alive. Tore Abbey Meadows, Torquay TQ2 5SG
Kingsbridge Show
Saturday 2nd
Animals, craft and food
Borough Farm, Kingsbridge TQ9 7QP
Uffculme Show
Sunday 3rd
Animals, crafts and activities
Bridwell Park, Uffculme EX15 3BU
Widecombe Fair
Tuesday 12th
Animals, music and crafts
Widecombe on the Moor TQ13 7TA
Abbfest
Friday 15th - Sunday 17th
Food, activities and music
Fermoys Garden Centre, Newton Abbot TQ12 5TN
Our recently-refreshed online shop now has even more great items to discover! Head behind the scenes to read about the work of our ecommerce team.
We launched shopdaat.org during Covid and since then, former Exmouth Shop Manager, Paul, has stepped into the role of Ecommerce Manager.
Paul heads up a busy team who help him to ensure your generously donated pre-loved items are brought to the
Our ‘best price’ strategy informs whether an item will be sold online or instore, and helps to ensure pre-loved items reach the right audience. Our online sales complement our other more specialised outlets, such as our Vintage and Variety high street stores, our outlet store, and our new Mishap Fashion range (read more about Mishap Fashion on page 13).
We sort and check each donated item for our online sales for authenticity, tears, rips and blemishes before each garment is referenced and steamed, researched and photographed. Customers rely on our description of the item to inform their purchase, so good photography is essential. We believe that the more effective our communication, the better our relationship with our customers, so we always highlight areas showing signs of wear or damage. We also rely on many of our wonderful volunteers who bring in higher levels of knowledge and expertise on particular items.
most appropriate market, whether that’s our own online store (fashion and more) or on Ebay (‘objects of desire’). Our customers receive the same excellent service that they would at one of our high street shops, as well as great value when they choose support our lifesaving service by shopping with us.
We spend time poring over website metrics to help us better understand our customers, while social platforms like Facebook (where we regularly reach over 13,500 people), Instagram and TikTok, feature seasonal campaigns to help more people to find their perfect item.
Our online shop specialises in textiles and fashion accessories. Here shoppers can browse an amazing range of reduced-price items by category, brand or gender, while our Ebay site lists over 2,600 items from collectables to cameras, and sporting equipment to electricals and games.
Our team works hard to ensure a smooth and efficient distribution process. Our infrastructure can expand to build our capacity by making great use of our working space, fostering good working practices and ensuring quality control, all before items are delivered by a 48-hour tracked delivery service to the customer’s door.
We are also conscious of our carbon footprint and are passionate about making sure pre-loved clothing continues to be loved. We know there is always more to do though, but we know that our staff, volunteers, donors and customers are an important part of that journey and share our passion.
At shopdaat.org we specialise in textiles and fashion accessories and you can browse by category, brand or gender, while supporting our organisation and taking advantage of an amazing range of reduced-price items.
You can also search our Devon Air Ambulance Trust ebay site where over 2,600 items are currently listed, ranging from collectables, through to cameras, sporting equipment, plus electrical and gaming items.
There are all sorts of ways to help support our online shop beyond shopping. Shouting about your great finds on your social mediate channels, sharing our posts, or simply telling people about us is a great way to lend your support. You might even pass on this copy of Helipad once you’ve read it!
Many of our fashion items are higher-end high street brands and are in very good condition and retail at a significant discount. We work hard to authenticate our goods to ensure they are the genuine article. A recent customer satisfaction survey tells us we have a great product range that is highly valued by our customers.
Pop online and discover for yourself some great deals!
We add new items all the time so there’s always something new to discover !
ur shops are an important part of the communities we serve, and we want to make sure that we are meeting the needs of our customers and their communities. That’s why we are reaching out to you, our readers, to ask for your feedback. We want to hear your thoughts on what you like about our charity shops and what you think we could do better. We value your input and believe that your feedback can help us make improvements that will benefit our customers and our charity.
We are committed to providing you with the best possible experience when visiting our shops. We want you to feel welcome and safe in the knowledge that you can find quality items at affordable prices. Your feedback can help us achieve this goal.
So, what do you think about our charity shops? Do you like the layout and the window displays? Are our shops welcoming and easy to navigate? Do you feel that our customer service is friendly and helpful? What would you like to see more of in our shops? Do you have any suggestions for improvement?
If you have any thoughts or suggestions, we would love to hear from you. You can share your feedback with us by emailing retail@daat.org. Alternatively, you can speak to our staff at any of our charity shops, who will be happy to pass on your feedback.
Share your thoughts about our shops, on the layout, displays, how easy to use they are, our customer service and any other thoughts or suggestions you might have:
Your feedback...
Your name (optional): ...................................... Your local shop: .......................
If you would like us to respond to any of the feedback raised above, please share your email address or contact number: Please send your completed feedback to: Brian Harvey, Retail operations Manager, Devon Air Ambulance, 5 Sandpiper Court, Harrington Lane, Exeter, EX4 8NS
Alternatively, you can share your feedback online at: daat.org/shop-feedback Thank you!
Tell us what you like about our charity shops and what you think we could do better. We value your input which will help us to make more improvements.
The Devon Air Ambulance Retail Team are always looking for new and innovative ways to generate funds that support our life-saving service. Recently we have been exploring the world of sustainable fashion and are excited to announce the launch of our new, “Mishap Fashion” range of clothing.
Charity shops already provide a great way to shop in an environmentally friendly way; promoting upcycling, recycling, reduced waste and affordable clothing. But our goal with Mishap Fashion is to create a range that takes all of these fantastic, eco-conscious benefits to the next level, while still raising much-needed funds for the organisation.
In addition to our Mishap Fashion range, we’re also catering for a growing number of customers who have a great interest in mending, altering and “upcycling” clothes. At our Exeter, Cowick Street shop, you can find many of the materials needed to repair items and we also provide advice on stain removal and alterations.
The Mishap Fashion clothing range draws attention to and promotes high quality items that have minor defects. These items are carefully selected by our wonderful team of shop staff and volunteers, and a garment label attached to indicate the nature of the defect. This could be something as simple as a missing care label, a missing button or a small blemish. These items are wearable and functional, but due to their imperfections – or ‘mishaps’ - often go unsold or end up being recycled. To minimise this waste, we now offer theses garments at a reduced price in several retail locations throughout Devon.
As if that wasn’t enough, we also attended an event centred around sustainability and upcycling at RHS Rosemoor recently, coinciding with Global Recycling Day. The weekend was a huge success, with £320 raised for the Charity and a fantastic springboard to launch the Mishap Fashion range, which was very well received by customers who loved the innovative approach.
The range can be found at multiple retail locations including Barnstaple, Plymouth and our Exeter shops. with the hope to expand to other stores in the future. Why not pop in and have a look for yourself?
Small Tears
Broken Zip
Missing Buttons
Since the beginning of the year, we have cheered on more than 83 Devon Air Ambulance Runners as they take on mighty challenges in aid of us. Firstly, huge thanks to all six of our London Marathon runners! From newbies to experienced marathon runners, you have all taken this huge challenge in your stride (pun intended!). We are so grateful to, and proud of you all. Next up we want to thank our Ocean City Festival and Great West Run runners. We had 5k, 10k and half marathon entrants and all of you have worked so hard to push yourselves in your training and to raise as much as you can. Thank you #TeamDAA!
Run Venture have kindly supported us throughout the run-up to these challenge events. Colin and his team donated their specialist knowledge to guide our runners through training, write programmes, offer discounted sports massage, and provide their expertise at every turn.
An incredible £1147.88 worth of donations have come to Devon Air Ambulance with thanks to Veronica (Belah) Robinson’s support. A long-term supporter due to her son’s passion for riding motorcycles. We were saddened to hear the news of her passing.
Chief Petty Officer, Mark Berryman, retired from the Royal Navy after 39 years service . He was joined by colleagues and ex-colleagues at the Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, last November to celebrate his leaving dinner. As he feels a close connection to our cause due to his daughter being a 999 dispatcher Mark raised a phenomenal £1,197.99 at his dinner. A massive thank you to everyone who attended and donated!
for supporting us for a second year in a row, at their weekly meetings. 2022 saw them raise a brilliant £1,672! We are thrilled they have chosen to support us again in 2023!
Thank you to Sandra and Kevin, from the Queen’s Arms in Slapton who presented us with a cheque for an incredible £1,036.65 – taking their lifetime total to over £12,000!
We are so grateful to Bigbury Seniors for their ongoing support. Last year’s Men’s Captain, John, chose DAA as his charity of the year. We received an incredible £900 from fundraising during his captaincy.
The South Molton Vintage Tractor Club’s have been fantastic supporters of Devon Air Ambulance since 2004 and have raised over £56,000 for us. Volunteer Helen Phillips received the cheque from the club committee. Thank you all very much for your continued support.
Huge thanks to Teignmouth Sings for supporting us with their Christmas Concert last year and for donating an incredible £1,087.97. Our Volunteer, Petula, had a wonderful evening enjoying the music and celebrations!
After a unique motorcross fundraising challenge was completed around Dartmoor, Gavin Brimacombe arrived on two wheels at our HQ to present over £1,000 to Devon Air Ambulance’s Kelly Phillips, it was great to meet and thank the riders.
8-year-old Mikey has completed an amazing challenge in aid of Devon Air Ambulance and raised over £1,400.
Bradworthy and District Ploughing Match have been supporters for several years, and in that time, have raised over £3,000 for our Charity. This year, we gratefully received £1,100 from the team after their annual ploughing match. Devon Air Ambulance volunteer Kate Phillips attended the cheque presentation along with our friends from Cancer Research.
Exmouth seafront was the setting for his charity walk in pyjamas on a cold October morning. Mikey decided that he wanted to support our vital service, after the passing of his grandfather, Raymond Moore in June last year. We were called to assist Raymond, and Mikey wanted to say thank you in the most exciting way possible. Setting out first thing, in the pitch black, Mikey clearly enjoyed the entire trip, with a huge smile on his face. He has had great support from his friends and family, and his Mum, Ria, is extremely proud of him. Mikey was so proud of his achievements he is already planning his next challenge for later this year!
We were thrilled to welcome Mikey and Ria to our Exmouth shop, to say a massive thank you for raising such incredible funds as well as the awareness they have raised for our charity. Steffan, Becky and Ambrose the Bear from our fundraising team were there to meet him, and handed over his well-earned cupcakes, goody bag and certificate.
Thank you so much for your incredible support, Mikey! You’re a superstar, and we’re looking forward to supporting you in your 2023 challenge!
A massive thank you to Totnes Young Farmers who supported us last year with a series of events, donating a whopping £12,750! They were met by volunteers David and Lesley, who told them about how this support will help DAA to continue its vital service. To date, Totnes YFC have donated over £30,000 to DAA.
Dartmouth Fatstock Show supported us in December 22 and donated a generous £250
Each Christmas, supporters of Devon Air Ambulance light their houses up! This year, we were grateful to receive the support from the Dunn family in Tiverton, Brian Davis in Willand, and the Smith family in Exeter. Take a look at the photos of all the amazing lights and colours that they had on display.
Paul Dunn has raised a fantastic £23,000 for our service and in 2022 invited the team to see his display.
Brian Davis has lit up the outside of his house for several years supporting various charities. He chose to support DAA with his lights last year as he lives very near to the Willand Community Landing Site which has made him fully aware of the vital service.
Steve and Sharon Smith have had their lights all over social media and various media outlets in Devon. Steffan and Ambrose from Devon Air Ambulance attended one of their open evenings and were treated to wonderful hot chocolates and queues of supporters outside the gate.
Christine booked a stay at a local caravan park in Holsworthy and was very kindly offered a discounted rate on her stay. Following this generous offer, Christine decided she wanted to donate to DAA. Christine has also hand-knitted lots of beautiful children’s jumpers and kindly donated to DAA to sell in our charity shops. Thank you, Christine!
Saltram Rotary were generous enough to support us with their Classic Car show again in 2022, an annual event which regularly supports DAA and this year we were invited to receive an amazing £1,900 donation.
Thank you once again Saltram Rotary, your support keeps us flying.
Terry Hayman is another wonderful dance leader who supports us. Terry has been running South Brent Dance Club for over 25 years and has raised over £7,000 for Devon Air Ambulance over the years. Thank you, Terry!
When Jennie and her partner Phil received the call that their son Alfred had had an accident, their hearts sank. Knowing he was in pain and they weren’t by his side; luckily, the Devon Air Ambulance critical care team and the staff at the Royal Devon & Exeter hospital were soon on hand to make sure Alfred received the best possible treatment and care for his injuries.
In October 2022, twelve-year-old Alfred went out for the day with his Nanny and his younger brother. They went to Eggesford Forest and found themselves thoroughly enjoying the park. Alfred was gaining height on a swing when suddenly he fell to the ground. It was immediately clear that Alfred was in intense pain and needed urgent medical care, his Nanny swiftly called 999.
Within minutes, Devon Air Ambulance’s North Devon crew had been scrambled and were flying to Alfred’s aid. There was no room to land nearby as dense forest surrounded him so pilot Rob landed in a nearby field. Once cleared to depart the helicopter, one of the critical care team threw the 17kg Emergency Response Bag over his shoulder and took off at a sprint to find the young patient. Alfred’s grandfather headed to the helicopter and aided the rest of the crew with 4x4 transfers to the scene in his truck.
The crew treated Alfred for his pain and identified that he had sustained bilateral wrist fractures so stabilised him and prepared him for a journey to the RD&E hospital via land ambulance. Because Alfred was in the forest, our crews worked alongside HART (Hazardous Area Response Team) to safely extract Alfred from the scene to where the land ambulance was waiting.
Our Advanced Paramedic in Critical Care, Glenn Birtwisle travelled with Alfred to hospital via the land ambulance to continue his care along the route. Upon arrival and following further assessment, Alfred received surgery for his injuries and was very well looked after by the hospital staff.
Alfred recovered well, with his plaster removed just in time for Christmas! His mum Jennie now tells us that Devon Air Ambulance is the ‘chosen charity for life’ in their household.
iHave we helped you? Get in touch and tell us your story...
“I feel extremely thankful to Devon Air Ambulance, not just for the medical care they gave Alfred, but the emotional support they showed to his younger brother Herbie and their Nanny when they arrived. Their kindness, empathy and calmness at the scene was a great strength to all involved. We will all be forever grateful. To show my personal appreciation for the help they gave us that day, I’m running the Exeter half Marathon in May to raise funds which might help another family like ours and give them the same peace of mind that we had when the Devon Air Ambulance crew arrived.”
There are many perils that come with working in the farming industry, from working with potentially dangerous machinery, chemicals and livestock, to working at heights, long hours and lone working. Our crew are no strangers to the severity of injury caused as a result of these hazards, from burns to broken bones, and during 2020-2022 we attended 86 agricultural incidents.
22 falls
24 machinery
1.6% of all incidents
10 females assisted
Cat McMorrow Specialist Paramedic Critical Care, says, “Farmers are Incredibly hard-working individuals who often put the needs of the farm before their own. Stoic and often imperturbable, they are seemingly made purely of grit and determination. We often jest amongst the crew that if a farmer is complaining of pain or an ailment there is likely something very concerning going on. So much so that we often mention ‘they’re a farmer’ in pre-alerts to receiving hospitals as there seems to be an unwritten but often accepted rule that they present in an entirely different manner to the rest of society when experiencing traumatic injuries or serious illness.”
75 males assisted
5 age 0-7 years
64 age 18 -69 years
5 foreign bodies
16 age 70+ years
21 animal related
Devon Air Ambulance have always had strong ties to the farming community of Devon. With Devon a largely agricultural county, and with us attending a lot of agricultural incidents year on year, we are keen to engage with the agricultural community of Devon to better understand the daily risks they face and to find out what we can learn from each other in a bid to make a safer environment for all.
In February this year we attended the Agricultural Farming and Machinery show at Westpoint as an opportunity for us to speak with the farming community of Devon, and to derive from their personal knowledge and experience how we might be able to learn from each other in a bid to reduce agricultural incidents and improve outcomes.
Thanks to 27 agricultural workers who responded to our survey at the show, we obtained some really useful insight, not only into what farmers see as their biggest risk factors, but also
machines and animals, machinery turning over and entrapment in machinery.
Whilst there are many preventative measures farmers can take in a bid to reduce incidents, there are also steps they can take to help in the event of an incident, from ensuring our crew can easily and safely land by having a clearly identifiable safe landing site, to, where possible, offering a lift to our crew when the landing site is remote from the incident.
When arriving on scene, in addition to considering the care required for the patient, our crew also face several other issues, including having to navigate machinery and livestock, which may likely have been the cause of the incident, safely accessing and egressing fields, and minimising the impact on farming operations.
Furthermore, there are also several aviation difficulties our crew commonly encounter. These include locational accuracy,
Risks facing agricultural workers:
Machinery incidents
Animal stampede
Chemicals
Risks under foot
Isolation (mental health)
Lone working
Trapped limbs
Trips and falls
Cables
Long hours and workload
Language barriers
Advice from farmers for our crews:
• Become familiar with how to switch off machinery; be aware equipment could come live, rollback, etc.
• Be aware of power cables, especially following an incident or weather events
• Be conscious of livestock
• Become familiar with farm health and safety protocols
Tips from farmers to farmers:
• Ensure good signage
• Let other workers know where you are
• Ensure shared emergency language is known among staff
• Have a means of contact to hand
what they think they can do to make it easier for our crews on scene. From ensuring there is good signage on the farm and machinery, to ensuring they have a means of contact to hand, as well as suggestions on what our crew can do to ensure they are confident on agricultural land, are aware of the common dangers on a farm, and are familiar with farm health and safety protocols.
From machinery and animals to long hours and lone working, the daily risks faced by agricultural workers are vast and whilst our crew attend to a broad array of agricultural incidents, there are some they regularly attend, including falls, crushing from
making it difficult for our crew to find patients from the air, and selecting a safe landing site, which could well be remote from the incident. These difficulties can delay our crew landing, extend the time spent on scene, and make onward transport more challenging.
Following from our findings we intend to embark on a larger project to continue to work with the agricultural community, to further develop education and information for the farming community on injury prevention, and education on farming safety protocol and minimising the impact on farming operations for our crew.
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You can call Sam any time on 01392 466666 (option 3) or contact her by email at lottery@daat.org
Our canvassers are a vital part of the team and their work helps the lottery to grow and raise the vital funds that keep our crew responding. Meet Marcia, Lisa, Daniel, and Rae.
You can see Marcia and Lisa out and about in various foyers at most venues across Devon, so please do go over and introduce yourself if you see them. Our two newest members are Daniel who is continuing to trial our door-to-door canvassing, and Rae who is reaching out to some of our local small businesses.
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Thank you to everyone who entered our Helipad Prize Crossword in the Winter 2022 issue – John Elliott from Chagford was the winner of a family ticket to Torre Abbey in Torquay. Well done John!
As usual, we hope you all enjoy this new crossword which once again tests your local and general knowledge. Correct answers will be entered into a draw for a chance to win a VIP VISIT TO THE AIRBASE!
Clues Across
1 A sturdy breed of small hound, Snoopy is a famous one! (6)
4 A member of a university or college who teaches or does research (8)
10 A short period of rest or relief (7)
11 A type of jade, common in the South Sea Islands, for making hatchets (7)
12 A mammal belonging to the genus Lepus, or DAA’s very own Operations Director Nigel! (4)
13 To start burning again (10)
15 TV presenter and former tennis professional, born in Paignton (3, 6)
16 A device that produces a loud noise or warning sound (5)
18 Scott, Head Chef at Acleaf at Boringdon Hall (5)
19 One of the oldest villages in Devon, about eight miles north of Exeter (9)
21 The study of pharaohs and mummies (10)
23 A contraption designed to catch and retain something, usually an animal (4)
26 ‘******* out’, a common phrase when an offensive or swear word has been replaced (7)
27 A tall, four-sided narrow tapering monument (7)
28 Ed Sheeran and Prince Harry are famous examples of this type of hair colouring (8)
29 A small body of matter from outer space that enters the earth’s atmosphere (6)
1 Famous Devon island, the inspiration for Agatha Christie’s novel ‘Evil under the Sun’ (5)
2 Property of a substance that easily soaks up liquid (9)
3 A cut of meat taken from each side of the spinal column (4)
5 An embarrassing blunder or a small mouse-like creature that lives on a blue planet in space? (7)
6 It gradually disappeared (10)
7 The First Nation people of New Zealand (5)
8 A man of the cloth (9)
9 To decorate (6)
14 Town on the River Taw in North Devon (10)
15 Ninth month of the year (9)
17 A place some people believe exists after death (9)
19 Spanish for ‘solitude’ (7)
20 An area of calm water, often separated from the ocean by a reef (6)
22 To give way (5)
24 A metal rod or a card game? (5)
25 An English monk known as ‘Venerable’ (4)
Complete the crossword to reveal the letters in the blue shaded boxes –simply solve the anagram to identify a word relating to DAA. Enter online at www.daat.org/summer-crossword-2023 or by writing your name, contact details and the answer on a postcard and posting to :
The Editor, Helipad Crossword Competition Summer 2023, Devon Air Ambulance, 5 Sandpiper Court, Harrington Lane, Exeter, EX4 8NS. The competition is free to enter, one entry per person.
The closing date for entries to be received is midnight on 31 August, 2023 when the successful winning entry will be selected at random. Full Terms and Conditions can be found at www.daat.org/crosswordsummer-2023-terms-and-conditions or by writing to The Editor at the above address
As horticulturists here at RHS Rosemoor, answering people’s questions is part of our role. A very common query from our visitors is “what on earth can I do with a dark, cool, shady area of my garden”?
Gardens shaded by trees and buildings are increasingly common as gardens get smaller and housing developments become more crowded. Although North or East facing gardens can be cool and shady for much of the year, they can present some creative opportunities with well-chosen, shade tolerant plants.
To grow healthy plants in shady areas, it is important to match the degree of shade that a plant will tolerate with available light. Unfortunately, very few plants will thrive where shade is very dense, particularly when coupled with dry, impoverished soil. From experience, most shady areas can be defined as either dappled shade, which is mainly reflected or diffused light, for example through fairly open tree canopies, or moderate shade, which may receive sunlight for two or three hours a day in midsummer. North or East facing walls and fences often receive very little direct sunlight, but that doesn’t mean you can’t grow climbers or wall shrubs. Here are a small selection that are tried, tested and easily sourced:
• Garrya elliptica ‘James Roof’ AGM. Racemes of silky tassels in late winter.
• Hedera helix ‘Oro di Bogliasco’ (v) AGM. Pink stemmed, with golden centred leaves.
• Hydrangea anomala subsp. petiolaris AGM. Showy white flowers in clusters.
• Lonicera japonica ‘Halliana’ AGM. Highly fragrant, white/yellow flowers.
• Pyracantha ‘Orange Glow’ AGM. Long lasting, showy bright orange berries.
Shade loving plants will perform well, but may need watering. The addition of plenty of well-rotted farmyard manure, garden compost or leaf mould will help improve soil structure and moisture retention and aid in the establishment of the plants, this can be either dug in before planting or applied as mulch
Richard Wilson RHS Rosemoor Horticulturist
every year after planting. If conditions are excessively dry or waterlogged for prolonged periods, try using pots to grow plants in, keeping them well watered and use a John Innes No 3 compost. Particularly robust plants for deep shade include, Dicentra ‘Stuart Boothman’ AGM, Dryopteris affinis AGM, and not forgetting the ever lovely Snowdrop, Galanthus nivalis AGM.
Here are a few plant suggestions for shady spots:
Dappled shade
• Anemone × hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’ AGM. Branched stems with single white flowers with golden stamens in late summer.
• Geum rivale ‘Leonards Variety’. Copper-pink orange-tinged flowers mid and late summer.
• Brunnera macrophylla ‘Jack Frost’ (PBR) AGM. Sprays of small blue flowers in spring.
Moderate shade
• Geranium phaeum ‘Lily Lovell’. Purple-mauve flowers on branched stems in late spring and early summer.
• Pulmonaria ‘Blue Ensign’ AGM. Blue-violet flowers in spring.
• Alchemilla mollis AGM. Rounded lobed pale green leaves and tiny greenish-yellow flowers from early summer to autumn.
I have been at RHS Garden Rosemoor since May 2015 as a member of the Formal Gardens team, responsible for the Cool Garden and one of our two woodland play areas. I live in Fremington and enjoy contributing to a number of voluntary projects including Torrington in Bloom. I run competitively for Torrington AAC, enjoy cycling and am currently walking the SW Coast path during the summer months
The Devon Air Ambulance Volunteer Responder Scheme (VRS) was an initiative set up in May 2022, in collaboration with the South-Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust.
As part of a twelve-month feasibility trial, three Devon Air Ambulance Critical Care Paramedics (CCPs) began volunteering their time to support the enhanced and critical care needs of patients across our county.
Since the start of the scheme, they have offered their availability on 135 separate occasions, responding to 76 incidents, while providing care to 55 patients. There has been a huge variety of patient conditions dealt with by the volunteers, reflecting the unpredictable nature of prehospital care. Of the incidents responded to, 51% of patients had suffered a medical event, 47% had suffered a traumatic episode and 2% were both medical and trauma presentations.
On 25% of occasions, a Devon Air Ambulance Volunteer Responder has been the first emergency service resource to arrive on scene. This means they can deliver initial, lifesaving treatment, required to stabilise a patient ahead of the arrival of a Devon Air Ambulance Critical Care resource. You can read on page 29 how former patient, Steven, was successfully resuscitated by one of our VRS volunteers following his cardiac arrest.
As part of the trial, we sought feedback from ambulance service colleagues regarding the impact of having a VRS
representative present at an incident. While several described benefits include the delivery of enhanced care medicines and treatment interventions, the feedback also identifies the value of a VRS Critical Care Paramedic (CCP) who offers scene leadership, momentum and support with complex decision making.
The VRS team carry similar equipment to that found on our critical care cars and helicopters. They respond in their own vehicles which undergo rigorous safety inspections and are appropriately insured, allowing them to respond safely using blue lights and sirens. Thanks to the kind support of local business, Safe Response, vehicles are easily identified on scene by their Devon Air Ambulance responder visor. In total, it costs approximately £5,000 to fully set-up a volunteer paramedic for the VRS role. You can watch a short video which shows the equipment carried here bit.ly/VRS-video.
This project has proven itself to be a valuable, safe and effective scheme, and Devon Air Ambulance is keen to substantiate the service imminently. We aim to develop the role further, including the inception of more volunteers in 2023 and the purchase of additional vital medical equipment.
The VRS volunteer CCPs can provide the same level of care and intervention as if they are working a normal operational shift. This includes:
• enhanced pain relief for patients who have suffered traumatic injuries.
• procedural sedation for patients who are recovering following a cardiac arrest, or for more severe traumatic injuries.
• advanced airway and ventilation support for cardiac arrest and head injured patients.
• delivery of additional medicines to optimise patient outcomes.
• surgical interventions to treat patients with chest, limb and airway trauma.
• supporting ambulance service colleagues with complex decision making.
• offering clinical expertise during the prehospital care phase for any patient presenting with enhanced or critical care needs.
The VRS has developed clear objectives and deliverable aims:
• reduce preventable death, disability or suffering from critical illness or injury and deliver exemplary time-critical care, in accordance with the Devon Air Ambulance vision and mission statements.
• increase CCP prehospital exposure to enhanced and critical care pathologies.
• support a reduction in ambulance service demand by alleviating pressures on Emergency Medical Service colleagues at incidents (supporting complex decision making and reducing overall incident duration).
• support the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) and Critical Care Dispatchers by offering additional enhanced care resources within Devon, including out-of-hours.
• support enhanced and critical care colleagues at larger scale, high acuity and major incident cases.
• develop, test, and sustain an innovative service within Devon that can be replicated amongst other HEMS care services.
Lee Hilton, Advanced Paramedic in Critical Care and VRS Lead, spoke of the success of the trial:
“It’s been an absolute pleasure to be able to extend our patient care beyond that offered by our core provision of helicopters and critical care cars.
The VRS has been able to support our patients at large scale incidents and on occasions when our core team are already committed to other patients.
Having our volunteers available to respond has allowed Devon Air Ambulance to continue to meet the unpredictable demands of prehospital critical care.
None of these innovative solutions would be possible without the continued support of every one of our dedicated supporters. On behalf of Devon Air Ambulance, I would like to say a huge thank you to our community who not only keep us responding, but who provide us with opportunities to be a forward thinking, innovative organisation.”
The National Mobilisation app which provides VRS team members with location and details of incidents to attend.
Cardiac Arrest is the most common reason for the Devon Air Ambulance emergency crews to be called out to help. In 2021 we were called to 315 patients suffering a Cardiac Arrest and in 2022 this rose to 360. The national statistics are quite alarming, with only one in ten people surviving a Cardiac Arrest out of hospital, this number is reduced even further if the patient receives no help from a bystander.
With this in mind and following our initial trial holding CPR and defibrillator training sessions in five locations last year, we are thrilled that we have been able to hold a further five training days this year, training a total of 650 people in just 10 days with the lifesaving skills required to be able help someone who may be suffering a cardiac arrest.
In November 2022 our ‘Help with all your Heart’ Campaign was recognised by Air Ambulances UK and we were very proud to accept a wonderful award for ‘Campaign of the Year’ despite some tough competition across the air ambulance community. Since then, the positive results and ongoing work with this
campaign saw us shortlisted as finalists in the recent Exeter Living awards. Sadly, we were not the overall winners, but were still incredibly proud to be there and for our work to be recognised once again.
So far in 2023, we have held further CPR & Defibrillator training sessions in Alphington, Kingsbridge, Tavistock, Colebrooke and Sidmouth which were all very well attended by those in the local community and further afield!
These lifesaving sessions were once again presented by our Specialist Paramedics in Critical Care who answered many questions, putting many minds at rest and ironing out a few misunderstandings about defibrillators too.
We have received fantastic feedback from those who attended and are so pleased that we have been able to share our knowledge and expertise. It is a proven fact that the outcome for someone in Cardiac Arrest is much improved if a bystander has stepped in to help by doing CPR and / or is able to use a defibrillator before emergency services arrive.
Our huge thanks to Charles at Alphington Village Hall, Fred at Colebrooke Village Hall, Martin at Kingsbridge RFC and Clare at Sidmouth RFC who were fantastic hosts and kindly offered their premises Free of Charge enabling us to save lifesaving funds for our operational activity. Thanks also to Georgia at Petroc College where we were invited to hold some CPR & defib training sessions back in February for Students at the Barnstaple campus.
Our CPR & Defib training will return later in the year as our crew now begin to prepare for a busy Summer season ahead.
On a summer’s evening in July last year, Steven collapsed while at home in Okehampton. Fortunately, Steven’s wife was present and able to quickly call 999 to get help. From the information she relayed to the Ambulance Service call taker, it was soon identified that Steven’s heart had stopped beating; he had suffered a cardiac arrest. This is the most serious of medical conditions as less than 10% of patients survive a cardiac arrest outside of hospital.
At the same time as an ambulance being dispatched, Darren, one of our Volunteer Responders and Advanced Paramedic in Critical Care, who lives locally to where Steven had collapsed, was alerted by the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Dispatcher in Ambulance Control. He was able to stop what he was doing and respond immediately in his car. Due to the severity of the incident, the HEMS Dispatcher also requested our Critical Care Team attend by helicopter from Exeter.
When Darren arrived, Steven’s wife and his son were undertaking chest compressions on Steven. Although he had no pulse, he was making some abnormal breathing gasps. This is common in the early stages of a cardiac arrest and indicated that Steven’s brain was unconsciously still attempting to provide some oxygen to his brain.
Darren quickly attached the defibrillator that showed Steven’s heart wasn’t beating effectively and required an electric shock. The rhythm is known as ventricular fibrillation (where the heart is in a state of electrical chaos) and the defibrillator acts to temporarily stun to stop the heart, with the aim of restoring a normal rhythm and pulse. In Steven’s case it was necessary to deliver seven shocks before a normal rhythm could be achieved.
Fortunately, by now Darren had received support from the ambulance service and the helicopter was also landing near to Steven’s address. Although his condition had now improved, he was still very unstable, and the following minutes and hours would prove critical. To improve and optimise Steven’s likelihood of a good outcome, the Devon Air Ambulance Critical Care Team placed Steven in an induced coma so they could take over and manage his breathing and circulation.
The Critical Care Team were able to stabilise his condition further in-flight and he was handed over to the care of the Cardiology Team at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital. Cardiologists then fitted
Did you know know?
72%
of Cardiac Arrests happen at home
a stent into Steven’s coronary artery to relieve the blockage that had caused a heart attack, leading to the cardiac arrest.
Steven spent the next 11 days in hospital before he was well enough to be discharged where he was able to continue his recovery in the company of his family. He has absolutely no recollection of that day and still finds the reminder of what happened a very emotional experience.
He wrote to us to say: “To the crew and all the supporting staff that keep that aircraft in the sky, and to the pilot, doctor and paramedics, that kept me alive until I got to the RD&E, thank you. And thank you to all the fundraisers and charity workers that volunteer their time every week, because of all of you I am on the road to recovery.”
Steven’s sister was also kind enough to provide a donation to the charity in response to us having helped to save her brother’s life.
We are so pleased to hear how well Steven is doing. Darren recently welcomed him and his family to our airbase where they had the opportunity to see the helicopter up close. It was our pleasure to have been able to help Steven in his time of need.
Volunteer intervention made the difference for Steven and his family.
of cardiac patients are male (259 patients)
of patients were between 18-69 years old.
41 % of patients were 70+ (10 patients were 0-17)
Devon Air Ambulance has two Airbus Helicopters: G-DAAN EC135, usually based at our Eaglescott airbase in North Devon, and the slightly larger aircraft G-DAAS H145, usually based at Exeter Airport.
Maintenance includes day-to-day routine tasks which typically take place outside of operational hours (so some very early starts!), then there is the scheduled major maintenance where the aircraft go to Oxford Airbus for several weeks.
Jeff Glover is our Licensed Engineer who works at both airbases. Alongside Jeff, Airbus provides 24-hour cover with a locally based engineer.
As well as aircraft maintenance, Jeff looks after items inside the aircraft such as seats and the stretcher, which rely on cables to allow them to slide in and out of the aircraft for loading patients and are used several times on almost every mission.
Engine start switches, landing light bulbs and rotor brake pads often need replacement as they get the most use over frequent short flights and landings, so we keep plenty of spares in stock.
Continuing Airworthiness Manager (CAM), Michael Snowden, monitors the flying hours and schedules maintenance in with Airbus Maintenance Facility in Oxford.
Each aircraft has approximately 1,000 inspection tasks and components to track individually. These tasks are loaded onto a computerised tracking system and monitored daily. When the aircraft goes in for major maintenance, the list of tasks is reviewed to make sure we capture all inspections and component changes, which means some tasks are performed early to maximise the time the aircraft is available for tasking.
Our two aircraft do have slightly different maintenance requirements, but any defects that fall outside of the major inspection downtime are fixed as soon as possible.
G-DAAN EC135
Every 12 months. Two weeks complete inspection and fix any defects. Requires a team of five engineers.
G-DAAS H145
Every 8-9 months or 400 flight hours. Takes three weeks to complete and fix any defects. Team of five engineers.
Performed every three years (or 1,000 hours). Takes four weeks to complete and fix any defects. Requires five engineers
Performed every 800 hrs (approx. 16-18 mths). Takes six weeks to complete and fix with five engineers.
Continuing Airworthiness Manager (CAM), Michael Snowden, monitors the flying hours and schedules maintenance in with Airbus Maintenance Facility in Oxford.
Parts normally come from Germany. The recently replaced engine came from Canada
The most expensive part is the Main Gearbox. This is sent away for an overhaul (strip, inspect & replace parts) every 3,600 flight hours (every six years). This takes 6-9 months to complete, so it’s usually replaced costing £735k or exchanged £500k.
Jeff Glover is our Licensed Engineer who works at both airbases. Alongside Jeff, Airbus provides 24-hour cover with a locally based engineer.
Members of our Flight Ops Crew share a little of the work that goes on to keep our aircraft safe and responding.
Monday 8 May was all about lending a hand to make a change. With thousands of charities and community organisations coming together as part of a unique initiative to commemorate the King’s Coronation. The Big Help Out was a chance for everyone to experience volunteering in their local area.
With strong roots in the community of Devon, we are always keen to welcome new volunteers. So, in tribute to the King’s public service, we took the opportunity to make The Big Help Out a week-long event with each of our 19 shops hosting an open day for the public on Monday 8 May and providing our staff the opportunity to help in our shops right up until Saturday 13 May.
On the Monday we chose to highlight the positive impact volunteering has on the local community and encouraged people of Devon to come along to their local shop, to meet and chat with staff, crew and current volunteers, to find out more about our service and how a donation of their time could help to save a life.
Our shops were bustling, and it was great to see so many new faces and potential volunteers. Many tried their hand at sorting and steaming stock to gain an insight into the role of a shop
volunteer, whilst others enjoyed talking with current volunteers who were keen to share their experience of volunteering. Volunteer Linda said, ‘The effort put into supporting volunteers is excellent, as well as the staff support in their lovely shops.’
Our 650 volunteers, each with their own unique skills and experiences, are invaluable to us. They donate their time to undertake many varied tasks, from supporting their local shop and helping at our Exeter head office, to collecting boxes, attending events and giving talks to local businesses and groups.
As well as volunteers from outside the charity, an important part of our culture is for our staff to volunteer in a role other than their usual one, which helps to build strong working relationships and allows staff and volunteers alike to truly understand the hard work and part they play in keeping our service responding. To show how much we appreciate our
volunteers and understand how important volunteering is for our service, we asked all staff to offer some time to support The Big Help Out by attending one of our shops for a morning, afternoon or full day, to help with a Big Sort, a Big Steam or a Big Clean.
Not only are our volunteers an integral part of our success, they are vital to ensuring we stay rooted in the community we serve, and in turn, volunteering with Devon Air Ambulance is a great way for our volunteers to give back to the local community.
Of course, volunteering isn’t just about what our volunteers give to us and their community, it’s also about what they get from donating their time. Volunteering can contribute to a person’s happiness, it’s a great way to keep the body and mind active, it boosts mental health, confidence, and self-esteem by helping individuals to learn new skills which in turn increases employability prospects, as well as providing an opportunity to be part of the community and meet new friends.
about what volunteering entails and what opportunities might be of interest. We understand that people live busy lives, so volunteering is fully flexible and fits around a volunteer’s other commitments. So, whatever your interest, skills, and availability, there will be something to suit you.
Volunteer Trevor said, ‘I found in DAA a volunteering role which offered me an ‘occasional’ rather than regular (weekly, etc.) chance to do something I thought I’d be half decent at: talking and delivering what is a powerful message about the service. I thoroughly enjoy doing so; the variety of groups to whom I speak, the challenges of different venues and assessing just how best to try to deliver the presentation to those in front of me.’
Volunteer Manager, Cara Jones, adds, ‘We had a brilliant week during The Big Help Out, it was great to see so many people from the local community popping into our shops to find out about how they can support us. We have such a fantastic family of volunteers, we enjoy taking the time to get to know them and building lasting relationships, and we always look forward to welcoming more. We really value the hard work our volunteers put in, and of course we ensure that we look after them and support their wellbeing.’
Volunteers make a meaningful difference, and we truly understand their importance. We work hard to build strong relationships with them all and ensure they know how much we appreciate them. Next month we will be celebrating National Volunteer Week to recognise and highlight the hard work of our volunteers.
Volunteer Tony added, ‘I started volunteering after retirement as there was an opportunity to give something back, which I hadn’t had time to do when in full time employment. Additionally, this was an excellent local charity that enabled me to maintain my people contact that I had enjoyed during my career in the hospitality industry.’
We are always keen to encourage everyone to find out more
If you’d be interested in lending a hand, but didn’t get chance to pop along to your local Devon Air Ambulance shop during The Big Help Out, then come along during National Volunteer Week, 1-7 June, to meet our staff and volunteers, and find out how your time can make a real difference. We look forward to welcoming you.
Of course, volunteering isn’t just about what our volunteers give to us and their community, it’s also about what they get from donating their time ”
Not only do we enjoy helping our business supporters’ staff to organise their fundraising activities, but it’s also great to see the diverse ways in which we are supported by them, from sponsorship and Grants and Foundations, to pro-bono work and volunteering days.
The Exeter site of Foundever (formerly Sitel UK) recently held a charity staff vote and we are proud to say that our corporate partnership has begun! Their fundraising efforts are already in full swing as they are taking part in our Dragon Boat Festival this June, and they have many more fundraising activities and social events planned!
Since 2010 the Co-Op at Ridgeway, Plympton, has been collecting and fundraising for Devon Air Ambulance. In more recent years, employee, Sue Barrow, has made it her personal mission to make sure her ongoing tabletop sale (featuring books, jigsaws, games and more) a success for us. As a result of Sue’s amazing efforts, the total raised by Co-Op Ridgeway so far sits at £27,301.18!
We feel very fortunate to be supported by so many fantastic local businesses every year and this year has been no exception.
Our Corporate and Business relationships are beneficial to everyone and it’s a fantastic way to achieve remarkable things together.
“ ”
Here are a few of our current and past businesses without whom we would not be where we are:
An amazing incentive created by Atlantic Comms based in North Devon, where every time they sell one of their telephone systems, we receive from each a £50 donation and already donations are coming in!
Southwest Highways has supported of DAA for many years, from raising money direct from their own Near Miss initiative, to taking part in our Dragon Boat Festival. Recently they assisted our Facilities Team during building works at our head office - showing partnerships aren’t always financial!
Charterhouse Auctioneers for kindly waiving their costs when DAA was given a classic Jaguar XK8 from an avid supporter. The auction was held on the 8 March and raised an amazing £6,200 for the charity!
SD Solutions, an Engineering Consultant based in Exeter, is kicking off their fundraising by hosting a charity Raceworld event in May involving 14 local businesses to take part, donate money and just have fun!
We are looking forward to seeing our corporate supporters take to the water on Sunday 4 June for our 7th annual event. We are almost at capacity with the teams taking part, so don’t forget to come down and cheer us all on and help us raise £20k for four replacement laryngoscopes for our crew!
After a few years of not being able to host any airbase visits, we were so pleased that we were finally able to offer our corporate supporters a day at our Eaglescott Airbase in North Devon on a wet and windy day in February. The visit enabled our partners to have a tour of the helicopter, meet the crew, have a CPR/defib demonstration and see exactly where their money goes. Thank you to the following: NFU Mutual, Exeter and Totnes, Foundever and Software solved for making the day very special.
Tracy Owen Corporate Engagement Manager
Tracy has been with DAA for over 16 years and is now our Corporate Engagement and Lottery Manager, so administers all aspects of our corporate supporters, old and new, plus oversees the running of our own in-house Lottery.
If you’re interested in supporting us, then please contact Tracy at: t.owen@daat.org or call: 07494 292384
Devon is the third largest county in the UK with an area of over 6,700km2. From the air we see alot of beautiful scenery as we attend our patients in the countryside, on the coast and throughout our towns and cities. Here are some recent shots.
Lundy Island
Brixham
Our Critical Care Cars allow us to reach even more incidents and are invaluable when the aircraft is unable to fly.
A cyclist fell 10ft onto rocks in this remote location, north of Newton Ferrers
We regularly land on long stretches of Devonshire coastline
A recent landing on Dartmoor assisting a patient with our colleagues from Mountain Rescue.
Send your pictures of our crew, aircraft and critical care cars to: helipad@daat.org
Our network of 196 Community Landing Sites are a vital part of DAA’s night flying operation. These presurveyed and lit sites, often located in remote areas, aid safe landing during the hours of darkness.
Once a patient has been treated at the scene of the incident, our crew will decide the best course of onward travel to hospital, either by helicopter or land ambulance. In some cases, our crew will travel with their patient in a land ambulance enabling them to continue to monitor their condition and to administer additional specialist treatment along the route if needed.
Alongside our network of community landing sites are a group of landing sites vital to our operations, which might be more obvious than you first think; these are hospital helipads.
There are four main hospital helipads in Devon that we regularly fly to, North Devon District Hospital in Barnstaple, Torbay Hospital, Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital, and Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. Each of these hospitals has a helipad available to us and other Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) organisations day and night, and are managed by a team of dedicated staff within each hospital.
Our incredible pilots make landing a helicopter look easy, but helipads are often located in urban areas with lots of surrounding obstacles to negotiate. This means that there are strict regulations that must be adhered to in order to keep everyone safe.
Managing a helipad is a big job within a hospital, involving a high level of collaboration between different departments and a job that perhaps doesn’t get the wider recognition.
A hospital helipad is classified by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) as a ’Complex Environment’ and therefore needs to be what is termed as Class 1 compliant. This requires the helipad to be:
- A minimum size to provide a suitable area for a helicopter to land safely back onto the helipad in the event of a critical power failure.
- The helipad is free of obstructions such as buildings, trees or other overhead obstacles, allowing at least two approach and take off paths.
The distance of obstacles in relation to the helipad landing site is determined
Each hospital is responsible for ensuring that their helipad remains Class 1 compliant and DAA has a responsibility to ensure that we approach and depart from the helipads in predetermined approach paths. These paths can change from time to time, for instance, when construction work is taking place nearby there may
be temporary obstacles in play, such as a crane or other high level construction machinery. When this happens, we will meet with the hospital helipad team, construction managers and everyone concerned to determine whether it remains safe for us to land.
Of course, the ultimate purpose of the helipad is to allow safe and swift access for the arrival of our patient in order to receive the onward treatment they urgently need. To ensure a smooth and short transition from the helipad into the hospital, each helipad is located as closely as possible to the emergency department.
Our landing site team meets regularly with the health & safety and facilities teams at each hospital to ensure we are
Your donation will help save lives • www.daat.org Find out more about Community Landing Sites - daat.org/landing-sites i 39
updated and informed about anything related to their hospital helipad and our operational crew remains fully briefed of any changes.
During January 2023 we were notified of the death of one of our much-loved volunteers, Helen Mathias who began her journey with Devon Air Ambulance as the Assistant Manager at our Cowick Street shop and through her amazing 18 years’ service, continued to support us as a volunteer.
Helen was a familiar face at our Cowick Street shop, known to so many customers, chatting to them and making sure that they found something they definitely needed!
Helen’s funeral was attended by our CEO Helena Holt, friend and former Operations Manager Chrissie Peel, and several of our Shop Managers. She was a friend to many, known for her amazing sense of humour, playing skittles and her love for holidays.
Jenny Buckle
Remembered by Nigel Hare, DAA Operations Director
Just prior to Christmas 2022 we lost one of our valued volunteers Mike Saffin. Mike and his wife Vera began their journey with Devon Air Ambulance firstly as supporters through their Ruby Wedding Anniversary in 2004 when they kindly asked their friends and loved ones to make a donation to us in lieu of anniversary gifts.
The couple then became volunteer speakers for us and continued to do so for 15 years, sharing their passion for our charity with hundreds of people in their local community and further afield. Mike, through his connections with Vintage Machinery Clubs and the Masons, ensured frequent donations found their way to us.
Mike was surrounded by his family at the time of his passing. His funeral was widely attended and our Operations Director, Nigel Hare and Former Fundraising Director, Caroline Creer attended. Even in his passing, Mike requested no flowers, only donations to DAA. A true gentleman to all who knew him and a dedicated advocate of our charity.
Jenny was a fantastic supporter of Devon Air Ambulance and was passionate about sharing the benefit of our service through learning and education. I have very fond memories of Jenny supporting our Junior Crew Club. Over many years, Jenny helped hundreds of children learn about Devon Air Ambulance. For young children, this might have been about the noise it made and why the helicopter didn’t have blue lights like an ambulance. While for those a bit older, it was about how treating people promptly and being able to fly them to the hospital when they were seriously ill or injured helped save their lives. Oh, and I also remember many occasions where we had to disappoint many a young person by letting them know that the tubes of the front of the aircraft were for measuring our airspeed and not, as most of them thought, or perhaps even hoped, machine guns!
Jenny always brought a smile to everyone’s face, as well as often a homemade cake to the airbase made with honey from her own bees. As I was a fellow beekeeper, and Jenny’s appetite for learning more about Devon Air Ambulance was insatiable as mine was for her cake, there was always something to talk about in the gaps between the morning and afternoon airbase visits that we held for the Junior Crew Club members. Jenny was a great ambassador and friend of Devon Air Ambulance and I have nothing but very fond memories of spending time with her.
Jenny Buckle, far right, during a visit from TV star Tommy WalshOn this page we celebrate the lives of donors, volunteers and friends of Devon Air Ambulance who gave their time generously and left lasting memories with those they met.
Your generous support keeps Devon’s Air Ambulances flying – to make a regular donation, please complete the attached Direct Debit form or follow instructions on the main menu of our website home page.
There are many ways to contact the team at Devon Air Ambulance:
www.daat.org – You’ll find lots of information about the Charity and our service on our website.
If you’ve been airlifted or helped by us, go to our Your Patient Story page and tell us your story. daat.org/your-story
For all sorts of fundraising advice and event information, vist our Get Involved pages. daat.org/fundraising
Please fill out all boxes in the form with a ball-point pen and send it to: Devon Air Ambulance Trust, 5 Sandpiper Court, Harrington Lane, Exeter EX4 8NS
Name(s) of Account Holder(s)
If you’ve been assisted by DAA, and want to thank the crew visit the Thank the Crew page at our operational website. daat.org/thanks
Email us at info@daat.org
01392 466666 Write to us at 5 Sandpiper Court, Harrington Lane, Exeter EX4 8NS
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Date
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In our early years, we focussed on maximising the helicopter’s speed to benefit patients by rapidly delivering experienced paramedics to the patient and quickly transporting them to the hospital, where most of the life-saving treatment was delivered. Nigel Hare looks at how Devon Air Ambulance’s approach has changed in recent years in order to provide more positive outcomes.
Delivering a patient to a hospital that can provide definitive care is just as important today as it was over 30 years ago when our service started, however, equally as important today is bringing advanced life-saving treatment and interventions to the scene, that traditionally are only given in hospitals.
Over the years, our operation has developed. Our doctors and paramedics are now employed by us, which alongside being registered with the Care Quality Commission to deliver our service independently, provides the foundations needed to focus their training and education specifically to meet the needs of our patients.
About half the patients we help have sustained traumatic injuries, while the other half suffer the effects of a lifethreatening medical condition. This
means our doctors and paramedics must be multi-specialists; able to deliver high-quality care to an elderly patient suffering a cardiac arrest one moment, whilst providing treatment to a child involved in a road traffic collision the next.
We continuously reflect on our patients’ circumstances, the care we provided to them, and the experience and outcomes they share with us. This enables our team to operate safely and effectively as a team, or while working independently at an incident where they may need to separate to treat multiple patients or when responding alone in one of our Critical Care Cars.
In this edition of Helipad, I thought I would share some of the life-saving treatments and interventions we can now provide, whilst at the scene with the patient.
We carry a greater range of medicines which means that not only are we able to help relieve a patient’s suffering where standard medicines have not had the desired effect, but we can undertake the treatment needed to stabilise them quicker, reducing the impact of their injuries and the time it takes to get them to hospital.
Where patients are in such severe pain that treating them is excruciating, or where their medical condition makes it challenging to deliver the care the patient needs, we can administer medication to sedate the patient.
We also carry medicines to help treat other critical conditions such as reducing the internal pressure within a patient’s head if they have sustained a traumatic brain injury, improving the ability for a child to breath when suffering a life-threatening asthma attack, or stabilising a patient during pregnancy when suffering from eclampsia or pre-eclampsia; both life-threatening conditions for mother and baby.
All the above, our clinicians can administer even when they are treating a patient alone. The same is true for some of the surgical procedures we perform such as creating a temporary opening in a patient’s throat through to their windpipe (trachea) to allow them to breath if their airway is compromised, and creating a small hole in the patient’s chest if they are suffering from a collapsed lung (tension pneumothorax), to help reinflate it again.
However, there are some interventions for which the complexity means we deliver them only as a team of one doctor and at least one paramedic:
A Surgical Hysterotomy (not to be confused with a Hysterectomy) is a procedure similar to a caesarean section, but delivered in an emergency situation to deliver a baby when the mother has a sustained cardiac arrest and not responding to resuscitation attempts. It provides the best opportunity for a successful outcome for both the mother and the baby.
A Thoracotomy is often described in the media, for good reason, as ‘open heart surgery’. It is an emergency procedure we undertake when someone’s heart has stopped pumping blood associated with a traumatic injury to the chest, and we suspect that the heart or one of the major blood vessels connected to it has been damaged. By accessing the heart through the chest wall, any small wounds/holes can be sutured or clipped together to help restore circulation. If needed, it is also possible to manually compress the heart to circulate blood to the brain and other vital organs.
Pre-Hospital Emergency Anaesthesia (PHEA), is a complex and time-critical procedure to deliver the emergency induction of general anaesthesia in the pre-hospital environment. On average, we undertake this procedure at least once a week when a patient is critically ill and, amongst other things, requires our team to secure their airway. Although similar in principle to anaesthesia delivered in a hospital, because it is undertaken in an emergency situation, the patient hasn’t been ‘nil by mouth’ in advance and the well-equipped, lit and heated hospital room is instead a bedroom, someone’s front garden or even the roadside or pavement in the pouring rain.
The safe and effective delivery of these advanced treatments by the Devon Air Ambulance team requires a significant commitment to ongoing education, training and regular patient treatment simulation. Your continued support provides not only our Air Ambulance helicopters, Critical Care Cars, doctors and paramedics, but also the means for us to provide the ongoing education and training needed to ensure that when someone has time-critical needs, we are ready to help give them the best chance of a successful outcome.
Training Nigel Hare Operations Director & CQC Registered ManagerAir Ambulance in 1997 as an Aircrew Paramedic
Thank you!
Five friends from across the UK, including our very own Ali, who works at Devon Air Ambulance HQ, are counting down the days until they attempt to row 2,800 miles across the Pacific Ocean in a bid to raise money for four air ambulance charities and an armed forces charity close to their hearts.
Ali Wannell, Andy Warner, Elaine Theaker, Neil Blackeby, Huw Carden and their boat, Voyager, will tackle severe weather and harsh conditions as they aim to complete the row of a lifetime as part of Atlantic Campaign’s inaugural Pacific Challenge, starting on 12 June 2023.
The team, named Flyin’ Fish, will set off from Monterey Bay in California, and will row non-stop for anywhere between 35 to 50 days until they reach their destination, Hanalei Bay in Hawaii.
Ali and her rowing buddies are hoping to raise £20,000 which will be split between Devon Air Ambulance, Cornwall Air Ambulance, Wales Air Ambulance, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance and SSAFA – The Armed Forces Charity. Each air ambulance charity represents the area where each team member lives.
Once Flyin’ Fish arrive in Hawaii, they will become part of a select group of currently just 80 people in the world who have successfully rowed 31 boats to one of the Hawaiian Islands from mainland USA.
“When I arrived in Antigua after rowing the Atlantic, I was asked if I would ever do it again, and I said No! I think most people say the same! However, it’s the kind of challenge that plays on your mind and I had an offer I couldn’t refuse with the people I’d met and become good friends with as part of the ocean rowing community, so here I am!
We are going to be totally self-sufficient out there, carrying all our food, turning sea water into drinking water, and dealing with any marine or medical emergencies ourselves. In the event of a major incident, (although there will be a support yacht keeping an eye on the fleet), the boats will be so spread out that help could be up to a week away, whether that’s from the support yacht or, more likely, from a tanker that has been diverted to our position.
Time on the boat in preparation is vital, not just for getting used to rowing, living in confined conditions and being able to move around, but in knowing how everything works, how to fix it - if it can be fixed - and in crisis operations planning and drills. We’ve carried out most of our training off the south Devon coast, rowing out of Plymouth and Teignmouth.
We’ll be too far from land to benefit from a helicopter rescue, but at home I feel reassured that we have two air ambulances and two amazing Critical Care Cars responding to the critically ill and injured across Devon. The service that Devon Air Ambulance provides across the country is vital, so I am thrilled to be raising funds for such a worthy cause.”
“We are in awe of the massive challenge that Ali and her friends are undertaking for their respective charities. Ali certainly has the grit and determination to succeed, and we are very proud to have her as part of the Devon Air Ambulance team. I think our colleagues will become slightly addicted to the tracking system showing her position and we’ll be keen to see how team Flyin’ Fish are doing. We’re wishing them all a safe and successful voyage and will be cheering them on from Devon!”
If you would like to help this oarsome team to reach their fundraising goal, please donate at their Just Giving page www. justgiving.com/fundraising/Flyin-Fish1
Time on the boat in preparation is vital, not just for getting used to rowing, living in confined conditions and being able to move around, but in knowing how everything works...
Team Flyin’ FishVoyager - looking resplendent in her new wrap Workplace and home for the next few months
At last, using your smartphone can be easy, simple and stress-free. Find out how...
Modern mobile phonessmartphones as they’re called - can do so much more than just make phone calls.
From browsing the web wherever you are, checking train times, acting as a sat nav... And best of all they can make it so easy to keep in touch with family and friends –in so many ways, from sharing photos to making video calls.
But using them isn’t always as easy as you’d want – and that’s putting it mildly!
Sometimes it can seem like the manufacturers deliberately make them complicated. It can drive you absolutely bonkers.
Whether you have problems with the basics or you’re trying to do something slightly more advanced, it can be easy to use them... once you know how. But until you’ve been shown, it can be like talking a different language.
That’s why we’ve published these books: iPhones One Step at a Time, Android Phones
One Step at a Time and Doro Smartphones
One Step at a Time
Plain English... and that’s not all
They explain how to use the phone, in plain simple language with pictures of the screen showing you exactly where to tap or slide your fingers. No jargon!
What’s covered?
We can’t list it all here. But amongst other things, you’ll discover:
• The basics of controlling it – swiping, tapping, opening apps & so on.
• How to use it as a sat-nav... in the car or even on foot.
• Send emails from your phone.
• Most phones have a good camera so you can take photos: here’s how to use it properly (and for videos)... & share the photos with friends.
• See updates, photos and video clips from friends & family, as soon as they “post” them.
• Make it easier to read the screen.
• Browse the web at home or out and about.
• Choosing and downloading apps.
• Video phone calls – a great way to keep up with family who live a long way away
• And obviously, you can make phone calls and send and receive text messages. (“Voicemail” is covered, too)
All explained nice and simply. (Find out more in the free information pack - read on...)
What one reader had to say:
“Thanks for a fantastic smart phone book. Very pleasant staff as usual.
I think this book should be sold with every smartphone. I have learnt so much from it, the info you get with the phone is nonexistent.
Smart phones are quite complex, and your books speak in plain English.”
Only half the story
That’s only half the story but we don’t have room to explain here. We’ve put together full information on the books – who they’re for, what they cover and so on.
What’s more the books also come with a free gift - no room to explain that here either.
Don’t buy now, do this instead
The books aren’t available in the shops or on Amazon – only direct from the publisher. Send off now to get a completely free, no-obligation information pack. It’ll explain what the books cover, who they’re suitable for and so on – showing you just how it could help you.
Even if you don’t know what type of smartphone you have, the information pack will show you how to tell.
To get your information pack, call Jade, Shanice, Shannon or Emma on 01229 777606 – lines open weekdays 8am-5.30pm, Saturdays 9am-1.30pm (closed Sundays & bank holidays). Or pop the coupon in the post today to: The Helpful Book Co, 13B Devonshire Road Estate, Millom, Cumbria LA18 4JS. Or email us at HE0523@helpfulbooks.co.uk
We’ll put your infopack in the post to you straight away (don’t worry, we’ll keep your details private). Best order now, and soon you could be getting so much more from your phone – with much less hassle.
Simply tear out this coupon and send it to the Or call 01229 777606 address below for full information on the books.
Name
Address
Postcode
Quote ‘HE0523S’
Call 01229 777606 or email your address to HE0523@helpfulbooks.co.uk Or post to: The Helpful Book Company, 13B Devonshire Road Estate, Millom, Cumbria LA18 4JS.
These helpful books mean there’s nothing to fear about using smartphones –from sending a quick email to video calling your family and friends.
you or a family member, would you like to share your story with us?
Nobody expects to need our specialist medical help, but throughout our 30-year history, over 31,000 people have. The personal account of your experience could be incredibly powerful in encouraging more people to support our charity.
If we’ve helped you or a family member, would you like to share your story with us?
Nobody expects to need our specialist medical help, but throughout our 30-year history, over 31,000 people have. The personal account of your experience could be incredibly powerful in encouraging more people to support our charity.
daat.org/your-story
