Helipad Winter 2017

Winter Warmers

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DEVON AIR AMBULANCE TRUST

Community Landing Sites

Treading the boards...

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Walks Wild

Meet our

Fantastic Fundraisers

Join Our Weekly

Inspiring stories of patient survival

LOTTERY See inside

Andy, happily back on his bike

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SEE HOW OUR GARDEN GLOWS UNTIL 6 JANUARY THURSDAYS, FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS UNTIL 8.30PM

Explore a world of magical illuminations as dusk falls on our extended trail Simple suppers are available (booking essential 01805 626810).

For garden tickets and promotions visit rhs.org.uk/rosemoor Great Torrington, Devon. RHS members go free.

RHS Registered Charity No. 222879/SC038262

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winter 2017 | WELCOME

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WELCOME Heléna Holt Chief Executive Officer As we come to the end of 2017, I thought I would take a moment to reflect on the year – one that has seen Devon Air Ambulance celebrate a really important milestone – 25 years of service. We were thrilled that so many of our supporters, current and former staff and inspirational patients were able to join us for our celebrations at Darts Farm in September. We were especially delighted that our Founder, Ann Ralli, and her family were able to share this special time with us. It was a complete coincidence but, on the 20th October this year, we also celebrated deploying to 25,000th incident!

We have had great success over the past few months with our annual fundraising events, such as our Motorcycle Ride-out, Dragon Boat Festival and the Grand Summer Draw. More recently, we have held our annual Commando Challenge

– a personal ‘thank-you’ to everyone who sponsored and supported me and my team, the ‘Hot Flushes’. By the end of the course, we were wet, muddy, cold and tired but happy that we all got around (without too many incidents!) and were able to raise over £1,000 for Devon Air Ambulance and The Royal Marines Charity.

Thanks to all the other plucky participants who took the challenge and raised money for both of our great charities.

All our supporters, local businesses and fundraisers have helped make 2017 a great year – we look forward to doing it all again in 2018!

Ali Simpson Helipad Guest Editor As some of you may be aware, our lovely editor – Debbie Gregory – recently had an operation and is currently recuperating at home. We know everyone will join us in wishing Debbie a speedy recovery and we look forward to seeing her back at Devon Air Ambulance in the very near future.

In Debbie’s absence, I have been asked to be ‘guest’ editor for this winter issue of Helipad.

Before joining DAA in 2016 as Heléna’s Executive Assistant, I spent some time in print media production, so I hope this has given me the necessary experience to safely look after Helipad until Debbie’s return – of course, with a lot of help from my friends!

In this edition, we meet some of our amazing

patients and hear their incredible stories.

We also explore the fun of getting out onto Dartmoor with your children and spend time visiting some of the more unusual theatres that Devon has to offer. We take a look back at our 25th anniversary celebrations in September, uncover the ‘hidden talents’ of one of our pilots and say ‘hello’ to our fantastic new shop in Okehampton.

Enjoy and Happy Reading!!

GET IN TOUCH! Devon Air Ambulance Trust Unit 5 Sandpiper Court Harrington Lane Exeter EX4 8NS

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01392 466666 info@daat.org www.daat.org

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Fundraising & Events

fundraising@daat.org

Lottery

lottery@daat.org

Volunteering

Cara Jones

c.jones@daat.org

Patient Contact

Debbie Gregory

d.gregory@daat.org

PR

Sarah Burden

s.burden@daat.org

Night Landing Sites

Toby Russell

t.russell@daat.org

Operations

Nigel Hare

n.hare@daat.org

Magazine Advertising

Tim Randell

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© 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.

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helipad | www.daat.org

CONTENTS | winter 2017

The Offical Magazine of Devon Air Ambulance Trust Celebrating the best in Devon 50,000 copies covering the whole county. 35,000+ delivered direct to our supporters Also available online at www.daat.org

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Contributors Sarah Chesters David Fitzgerald Richard Hunt Peggie Clark Neil Devons Catherine Moss-Crump Alex Sanders-Page

OUR WORK 6

Photographers Tom Backhouse Ian Foster (RNLI) Tony Prisztas Royal Horticultural Society Alex Sanders-Page Bob Stark (RNLI) TOADS Mike Vallis 29 Commando Royal Artillery

Publisher Heléna Holt h.holt@daat.org 01392 466666 Guest Editor Alison Simpson 01392 466666 ext 147 a.simpson@daat.org Advertising Sales Tim Randell 01822 615627 Advertisement Copy copy@daat.org Design & Print Management Silver Foxes Publishing 07455 206470 Distribution & Mailing Silver Foxes Publishing 07455 206470 ISSN (Print) 2055-2343 ISSN (Online) 2055-2351 Next issue Spring 2018

is published by DEVON AIR AMBULANCE TRUST

Fitz on Devon

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Speakers’ Corner

Star Prizes

Congratulations to Penny, Leo, Simon and Connie, and with special thanks to Capt. Ross White, Black Tor Brewery and Laura Wall for their fabulous prizes.

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Our 25th Anniversary celebrations

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A summer of fun and fundraising by DAA

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Opening of Okehampton Shop

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Business on Board

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Into the Night, Into the Light

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Junior Crew

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Devon People

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Devon’s Flying Doctors

Enjoy some of the best photos from our ‘Say it with Silver’ celebrations at Darts Farm on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th September 2017.

A look back at our Commando Challenge event, Motorcycle Ride-Out and Dragon Boat Festival – and join us in congratulating the winner of a brand new car in our Grand Summer Draw!

Our 18th shop is now officially open - meet the people who made it happen!

We say a big ‘thank you’ to the many companies around the county – both big and small – who show their support to Devon Air Ambulance in a variety of ways.

DAA’s Toby Russell looks at how landing at night differs from landing in the day, and we meet the people of Lapford as they celebrate their new community landing site.

Meet our junior fundraisers - Izzy gets creative, Freya just keeps raising more and more money and Abbey is a real role model to other young people across Devon.

In every issue, we celebrate our fabulous fundraisers. We are grateful to them all for every penny they raise to support DAA, and love to hear all about their amazing achievements and wonderfully wacky antics!

Operations Director, Nigel Hare, explains how the support, guidance and mentorship of a group of specialist doctors is enhancing our service.

winter 2017 | CONTENTS

BEAUTIFUL DEVON 24

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Commando Dagger

Winter colour, containers and compost!

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Theatre Towns

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Discover Dartmoor

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RHS Rosemoor’s Sarah Chesters shows how to bring colour to our homes and gardens in the winter, and how to think ahead to the spring Helipad visits three of the more unusual theatres that Devon has to offer – and nds out how one Devon man’s vision changed the whole experience of visiting the theatre

Paramedic Alex Sanders-Page explores the delights of Dartmoor with his children, and gives a step-by-step guide to one of their favourite walks for you and your family to enjoy

PATIENTS 10

Winter Warmers

Let chef Richard Hunt tempt you with a selection of hearty winter recipes, using the best of local Devon produce – and indulge in supertasty but super-simple slow cooked duck

Tom Walks Wild!

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From crash landing to wedding bells in twelve months

Hidden Talents

Helipad spends time with one of Devon Air Ambulance’s pilots, Capt. Ross White, and learns how he combined his love of art and military aircraft to produce some stunning drawings

LOTTERY

See Page

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‘Your collective actions saved my life’

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Two airlifts from Looe in one day!

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‘May Day’

GET INVOLVED Volunteering

Volunteer Manager, Cara Jones, explains how one special group of volunteers spend their time ‘spreading the word’ about our amazing charity through their talks to local groups.

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Lottery

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Schools and colleges

Fundraising Manager Tracy Owen, and Lottery Administrator Jane Raddon, celebrate ‘sweet 16’ years of DAA’s weekly in-house lottery.

See how our local schools and colleges are raising money for us and learn how you can get your own place of study involved in fundraising.

Tom Backhouse walks up and down 15 UK national parks to raise money for DAA after his sister’s airlift – read about this ama ing feat of endurance!

Eleanor Browne amazed everyone with her grit and determination to walk down the aisle on her wedding day after a catastrophic paragliding accident.

Backchat

BBC Presenter and DAA patron, David FitzGerald, improves our knowledge of famous – and infamous – Devon places and people

Two helicopters for Freddie

Freddie Moorhead recalls how DAA and the Coastguard worked together to recover him from an inaccessible position at the bottom of Longstone Rock.

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Join Our Weekly

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Tom Walks Wild!

Learn more about one of Plymouth’s newest and most iconic War Memorials

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After surviving terrible multiple injuries in a fall on Dartmoor, Colin Cusack says a special thank you to the emergency services and the stranger who came to his aid.

How Ethan Horne’s nasty fall and Brian Cox’s fateful sea swim meant the helicopter landed in the same place twice on the same day James Thomas recalls how a boating accident at Brixham Heritage Regatta caused horri c leg injuries and how DAA landed on the beach to come to his aid.

On The Cover Issue No.18 Winter 2017 Dartmoor ponies in the snow.

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helipad | www.daat.org

Star Prize Winners There are three Star Pri e winners this issue all with different stories With thanks to Ross White, children’s author Laura Wall and Black Tor Brewery for their kind donations.

From one artist to another We were delighted to receive this card from Penny Carrington, and her son Leo Leo was airlifted in August and we are so pleased to learn that he is continuing to make fantastic progress at home!

While we can’t provide Leo with a pair of our night vision goggles, we see that he is a budding artist, so hope he will like a framed print of our G-DAAN helicopter, drawn by our very own pilot Capt. Ross White, and signed by some of the aircrew.

Read more about Ross and his artistic talents on page 37.

Unsigned prints of the DAA helicopter can be purchased direct from Devon Air Ambulance at a cost of £20 (+P&P) or visit Ross’ website for more details.

Up, Up and Away...

Lyn Jones wrote to tell us of the airlift of her husband Steve in July. She also sent us this lovely picture drawn by her 6 year old grand-daughter Connie showing grandad on a yellow stretcher, and the helicopter being waved off by Connie and her 2 year old brother Ted. To say ‘thank you’ we will be sending Connie and Ted copies of ‘Goose’ books, signed by local artist and creator Laura Wall.

...and one extra winner!

Something Fishy!

Simon Lane (the Brixham Mobile Fishmonger) ran a ‘Paignton Harbour Day’ photo competition, which was won by Ryan Hardman with this great picture! Ryan very kindly asked Simon to donate his winnings to a charity of his choice, which was Devon Air Ambulance. Simon has been a great supporter of the charity since the airlift of his uncle, David Farr.

Thanks Simon and Ryan – we will be sending you a gift pack of ale from Black Tor Brewery.

Congratulations to DAAs very own Fundraising & Communications Director Caroline Creer, who received the prestigious Chairman’s Award at the recent Association of Air Ambulances Awards of Excellence for her outstanding contribution to the national association.

Caroline (centre) was presented with her award

by Helicopter Heroes’ Rav Wilding and Sophie Long from the BBC.

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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

POTENTIAL TOP CLASS YOUNG RACE HORSES FOR SALE Purchases include Deauville Crystal, Johanos, Pearl Royale, Nachi Falls, Lord Ballim & Tiger Roll.

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Call Nigel: 01884 881666/07769 295839 or email nigel@thornefarmracingltd.co.uk A smaller budget?

Instruction to your bank or building society Please pay PSL re Devon Air Ambulance Direct Debits from the account detailed in this Instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this Instruction may remain with PSL re Devon Air Ambulance and, if so, details will be passed electronically to my bank/building society.

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Bank/Building Society account number Branch sort code Name and full postal address of your Bank or Building Society To: The Manager of

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• If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit PSL re Devon Air Ambulance will notify you five (5) working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request PSL re Devon Air Ambulance to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request.

• If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by PSL re Devon Air Ambulance or your bank or building Society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society - If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when PSL re Devon Air Ambulance asks you to • You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building Society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.

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helipad | www.daat.org

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VOLUNTEERING e Cara Jones - Volunteer Manager

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ne @daat.org

Cara joined us in April 2017 and is responsible for steering and coordinating volunteering across Devon Air Ambulance, including the recruitment, induction, training and support of our volunteers working in our shops and the community.

Devon Air Ambulance

Speakers’ Corner

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ere re ny different y t v nteer r ev n Air A n e r r in in r ret i t ervi in r e ti n e nd re re entin t e rity t e e re ent ti n t ty i t n t re i e i t t e ve dedi ted r v nteer e er e r i e rene t e rity r t e e

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it t eir re ent ti n nd t t v riety nity nd r eetin e e in er n te in t e tt ev e t e rity nd r e itin deve ent re y d e dd er n t et intr d e y t e r e er t nd re ent

Norman Maudsley Norman started fundraising for DAA in 2011 when Radio Devon was involved with raising funds for our new helicopter. He initially raised £300 and then continued to raise money for DAA through his favourite pastime, travelling - Norman gives illustrated talks based on his self-funded expeditions around the world to a wide range of groups and organisations around South Devon, and donates his small speaker fee entirely to DAA. Norman soon became a volunteer speaker for us and set about using his experience to promote DAA to organisations, groups and schools in the local area. While proudly wearing his volunteer t-shirt, Norman also attends cheque presentations and receives collections from fundraising events. Currently, with the generosity of Devon people, Norman has collected a staggering £12,000 for DAA and he will continue to offer DAA talks or his travel talks. For anyone who wishes to know more, please contact Norman direct on norman.maudsley@ Yahoo.co.uk

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n re eivin i ye r ervi e rd t t e AA nniver ry e e r ti n

winter 2017 | VOLUNTEERS

Mike and Vera Saffin Mike and Vera rst became involved with DAA when they decided to raise funds for a local charity at their ruby wedding anniversary celebrations. The work of DAA had always been of interest to Mike, given his previous role as an engineer for Caterpillar. At this special one-off event, surrounded by family and friends, they raised a fantastic 400. When they handed over their kind donation, they were asked if they would like to become DAA volunteers and they readily agreed. With a laptop in hand they began giving talks on behalf of DAA throughout Devon and continue to do so – as well as attending other fundraising events and assisting at Head Office.

Their 13 years long service has seen many changes at Devon Air Ambulance – when they started in 2004, the focus was on raising awareness of the 2.5 million needed to operate our

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one leased helicopter, 5 days a week during daylight hours. In 2017, we now need to raise over 5.5 million every year to keep our two wholly owned helicopters flying 7 days a week, one up until midnight each day.

Mike has heard some bi arre uestions over the years but one which particularly stood out was does the pilot wear a parachute Mike replied politely No, he doesn’t - it wouldn’t instil con dence to the rest of the crew!

Mike has words of advice for our new speakers. ou will always be nervous when entering the venue but never forget that the nice people you meet will be eager to hear your story. Be sure to thank the audience for coming before you even begin.

In addition to his DAA talks, Mike also offers talks on ‘His Life at Caterpillar’ which particularly appeal to local farming groups and vintage machinery clubs. All donations from these talks are also kindly given to DAA to continue its vital operations.

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Richard and Helen Rumbold Richard and Helen Rumbold

Richard’s rst contact with Devon Air Ambulance was at the Devon County Show in 2000 where the images of the helicopter on the DAA stand caught his eye. After having a long conservation with the then Chief Executive Lynn Paver, Richard volunteered himself and his wife Helen - to help.

This was the start of a long association with the charity which, due to ill health over recent years has meant Richard has had to retire as a volunteer speaker for DAA. However, Richard recalls fond memories of previous talks he gave in many different locations throughout North Devon, from churches to village halls, hotels, nursing homes and community buildings. Richard particularly enjoyed giving his talk to the various Women’s Institutes in North Devon, who have always been great supporters of DAA. Richard found it most enjoyable, as he was often asked to judge the monthly competitions which at times proved to be uite a challenge!

Although Richard and Helen no longer give talks for DAA, they have built a large network of friends who still ask them to attend events and che ue presentations on behalf of DAA. People are able to see how passionate they are about the fantastic work of the charity and as such they remain very proud advocates and supporters.

If you feel the volunteer speaker role may suit you, for more information please contact our INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING? Volunteer Manager Cara Jones on c.jones@daat.org or call 01392 466666 ext. 122. If you would like to ask one of our fantastic volunteer speakers to present our free DAA talk to your own community group, social club or school, please email us at fundraising@daat.org

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helipad | www.daat.org

Two helicopters to Freddie’s rescue Following a fall from Long Stone Rock in Bigbury Bay, 16-year old Freddie Moorhead was attended by not just one helicopter, but two… Freddie was on holiday in the South Hams in 2016 when he found himself in need of urgent medical assistance. He takes up the story:

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n the 17th October last year, I was climbing with my riend r ie en y r e r e nd e ff t e Bantham Hand (the Long Stone), causing me to fall 20ft onto a ledge on the rock below. Luckily, I landed on my feet t ffered ne t e r t i e n e in rie y whole foot was at a very odd angle.

I felt lucky to be alive, as my shocked friend called the emergency services. Within a very short time, two paramedics, Lee and Darren, and Dr Rob, from Devon Air Ambulance were brought in by the rst helicopter, piloted by Richie Tate.

When they arrived, they cheered me up and assessed me.

Rob administered ketamine and told me I would be in a ‘very happy place’ very soon - before I realised it, I didn’t have a care in the world..!!

Soon, a second, very much bigger, helicopter arrived. I affectionately think of it as a MOAH – Mother of all Helicopters!

Devon Air Ambulance doesn’t have any winching equipment, so the Coastguard winched me into the second helicopter, attached to Dr Rob! I didn’t really have the chance to enjoy my rst-ever helicopter ride as I think I was just saying ‘thank you’ repeatedly.

Just before they winched me up from the rock, when paramedic Darren was about to leave, he asked if I was going to climb again. I nodded and he said, ‘Good lad’ and they were off on another mission.

I was taken to Derriford Hospital, where I was brilliantly treated under the care of Roddy and his team in A&E. A week

later my ankle was put back together by Ioan at the Fortius Clinic and I am now lucky enough to be able to run again.

I’m pleased to say, I have also been climbing since. I would like whatever I raise to be seen as a thank you for helping me be able to climb again. There is no faster way to get someone to the hospital than by air and without them I don’t know how I would have got back up the cliff, to an ambulance.

The DAA is a charity which needs support for all its wonderful work. Keep doing what you’re doing, you are true heroes.”

True to his word, just as soon as he was able, Freddie started running again, training to take part in the Ridgeway Revenge – a half marathon of undulating miles on Britain’s oldest path through Wiltshire’s beautiful countryside. Freddie was motivated to ‘pay back the cost of his airlift’ - and raised over £4,000 for DAA! Freddie, his mum Juliet and his younger brother and sister, Hector and Cecily, were invited to see the helicopter again – in much more relaxed circumstances – when they visited DAA’s Exeter airbase. o

winter 2017 | PATIENTS

“ Just before they winched me up from the rock, when paramedic Darren was about to leave, he asked if I was going to climb again. I nodded and he said, ‘Good lad’ and the ere off on another mission ”

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r u o g n ti a r Celeb

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years

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Thank you to all our inspirational patients and their fa ilies our sta and volunteers - past and present – and our supporters and fundraisers, for making our 25th anniversary celebrations at Darts Farm such a memorable and special time for us all.

winter 2017 | 25 YEARS

Despite the changeable weather, our Family Fun Day on Saturday 9th September was a great success, with fantastic food and entertainment, as well as a visit by one of our helicopters and a fascinating ‘live emergency demo’ in conjunction with our colleagues from the Police and Fire & Rescue.

On Sunday 10th September, our invited guests were honoured to be joined by HM LordLieutenant of Devon, David Fursdon, and our founder Ann Ralli and her family, for a special afternoon tea in the marquee. It was great to meet old friends – and to spend time reminiscing about the early days of the service and how it has gone from strength to strength. We were also delighted to present long service awards to some of our amazing volunteers.

Thanks once again to everyone who came along to support us and a very special thank you to all of our generous business supporters and donors who helped us on the day - we couldn’t have done it without you!

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Motorcycle Ride Out

Celebrating DAA’s own events A summer of fun and fundraising!

june

Once again, a loyal band of over 1000 of our motorcycle supporters donned their leathers and helmets for the annual Ride Out from Trago Mills, Newton Abbot. They followed an 80 mile route through the beautiful Devon countryside before arriving at the Den, Teignmouth, where they were joined by friends and family - as well as members of the public - for an afternoon of fun in the sun.

We would like to extend a huge thanks to all the bikers who, once again, supported this brilliant event. Special thanks to local bands - Five Finger Discount, Littermouth, Thick as Thieves and The Rock Section - for donating their time to provide an afternoon of excellent entertainment and to Big Bear Recordings for providing the PA. Also, huge thanks to Bridge Motorcycles for sponsoring the event and Trago Mills for once again supporting the start.

Keep your eye out for details of our 2018 Ride Out which will see some exciting new developments!

Dragon Boat Festival

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We were delighted to see so many people down at Exeter Quay in September for the annual Dragon Boat Festival, and for the 19 valiant teams of paddlers who made it such an entertaining spectacle and a great day out for everyone! Congratulations to our winners Arconic (and commiserations to last year’s winners, and this year’s runners up - DAAs very own boat!).

Dragon Boat Festival

winter 2017 | EVENTS

5k or 10k routes through the Royal Marines training course at Woodbury Common.

Commando Challenge

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It was another great year for the Royal Marines Commando Challenge with 1,106 intrepid souls braving the cold water, mud and sheer terror of the Royal Marines’ own endurance training course, completed over 5k and 10k routes.

“ All the commandos and oluntar staff With the event co-owned by Devon Air Ambulance were so cheerful and The Royal Marines Charity, this year was all and helpful, they about encouraging entrants to fundraise for the really spurred charities, whilst giving them unique insight into us on. Team what it’s like to train as a Royal Marine. This is the sportsmanship was only opportunity members of the public get to do wonderful, which this gruelling course. is so refreshing, all helping and Next year the event takes place on Saturday 13th and cheering each Sunday 14th October. Online entries will be open other on. Best soon; to register your interest you can enlist for our obstacle course by Royal Marines Commando Challenge e-newsletter at far. ” www.commandochallenge.co.uk/signup I would “ First ever 10K, yone an d recommen was ne yo to do it, ever se ur co e so friendly, th es go l al it was great and . es us to two great ca to u e nitel got the ” . ar do it again next ye

Grand Summer Draw presentation Thanks to all the residents and visitors to Devon who bought raffle tickets this year to win a fantastic shiny new Mazda (special thanks to Vospers Mazda for their continuing support)! The draw took place on the 22nd September and the lucky winner was - Mrs Timms from Okehampton. Mrs Timms bought her winning ticket from our volunteer David Weeks when she saw him on the Devon Air Ambulance stand at the Ruby Country Market.

Mrs Timms, from Okehampton, receiving keys to her new car from Tracy Owen, Fundraising Manager

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helipad | www.daat.org

Tom Walks Wild as thanks for saving the life of his sister On the morning of 16th January 2016, 21 year old Katie Backhouse left her home in ingsteignton to a e her a to or at the aldon orest iner t as the rst ic da e on had suffered in a hile and atie te ted her o friend a hoto of her car te erature gauge sho ing c efore setting off

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hat morning Katie didn’t make it to the Diner. At around 7:50am, between the A380 and A38 - on a journey Katie had done many times before - her car skidded on i e nd reered ff the road.

When Katie failed to show for work, a member of staff at the Haldon Diner phoned her dad Mark. Unable to get hold of Katie on her mobile, Mark feared for the worst and set off to nd her.

Mark said “I was met with every parent’s nightmare.

My daughter’s car was in a ditch and all I could see were flashing blue lights. I jumped out of my car and immediately

slipped on the black ice; it was deadly. I remember hearing the air ambulance and the next thing I recall is seeing the air crew running toward the scene. There is something calming about those red overalls. Among a scene of fear and devastation they appear as ‘superheroes’ reminiscent of characters from cartoons you read about in your youth. I knew Katie was in safe hands and I got to see and speak to her as she was transferred to the helicopter; I will always be eternally grateful for those precious moments with Katie.” atie had suffered numerous facial fractures and a head

injury, and was flown to Derriford hospital. She faced a long period of rehabilitation and after an initial stay of 10 days in ITU, which was then extended by a further 3 weeks, Katie was transferred to the rehabilitation unit. Katie said of that time “I remember arriving at the rehab unit and feeling incredibly sad as I thought I was being transferred home. I was heartbroken. I thought it was all over and I was all better.” But Katie was determined to get home as soon as possible. After a stay of 6 weeks, Katie had made good progress and was discharged a month earlier than anticipated.

Katie and her parents at her graduation in 2017

“ he is an ins iration to all and has changed the outlook of everyone who has followed her journey to recovery ”

At the time of the incident Katie was studying for a BA in Primary Education at Plymouth Marjon University. It is a credit to her determination and commitment to her recovery that she graduated with a 2:1 degree in summer 2017.

Katie is incredibly grateful for the support she received from her family throughout her recovery; following Katie’s airlift, her brother Tom was inspired to raise funds for Devon Air Ambulance, stating “she is an inspiration to all and has changed the outlook of everyone who has followed her journey to recovery. Experiencing my sister’s accident from the side of her bed meant that I had a rst-hand view of the incredible support offered by everyone involved in both saving her life and returning her to the amazing woman she is. I was in awe of Devon Air Ambulance, these were the heroes I wanted to give something back to. Combined with an innate love for the outdoors, the Walk Wild UK Challenge was born.”

Tom’s Walk Wild Challenge would see him walk the length and height of all 15 UK National Parks in just one year.

In total, the walks would span several hundred miles and several thousand metres in elevation. If successful, Tom would be the rst recorded person ever to do it.

The Walk Wild Challenge

winter 2017 | PATIENTS kicked off on the 14th January 2017, uite ttingly in Devon, on Exmoor National Park.

Tom covered 43 miles over 2 days and journeyed across the spine of Exmoor, taking in two counties, its highest peak, largest lake, the source

at 519 metres to Lee Bay at sea level.

Continuing into February, Tom set out to walk the 106 mile South Downs Way, from Winchester to the white chalk cliffs of Beachy Head, East Sussex. This would be the

48.5miles.

Undefeated by his injured ankle, Tom went on to walk the North ork Moors followed by the Brecon Beacons, which encompassed the rst wild camp of the year beneath the summit of Pen Fan. The

17

In May, Tom undertook his most notable achievement when he completed a 55 mile Ten Tor solo challenge.

Run by the Army, the event is one of the largest and most prestigious walking events in the country. It is usually only

Exmoor

Tom on the North Yorkshire Moors

South Downs Way

The North Yorkshire coastline

of the Exe, several moorland villages, Doone Country and traversing through open moorland, mined hills, woodland, deep river valleys and coastal cliffs, varying in height from Dunkery Beacon

longest walk of the Challenge to complete in just 3 days, but Tom soon realised the ambition of this challenge, and after suffering an ankle injury he took the decision to end the walk at an impressive

second day of the challenge saw Tom walk the difficult route to the highest point where he was accompanied by the training Royal Marine Reserves who supported him up the mountainside.

open to teenagers and Tom is not only the rst adult to have been granted permission by the event organisers to take part, but he is also the only person to attempt a solo walk.

Tom set off on the morning

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helipad | www.daat.org

of Saturday 6th May and had until 5pm on the Sunday to complete the challenge.

Walking more than 69 miles in 36 hours, Tom became the rst person to complete a 55 mile Ten Tor solo.

Next on the agenda, Tom

to encompass the coast and the moor before wild camping beneath the summit of Preseli Mountain, a ridge that runs through the heart of West Wales and takes in incredible views of the Gower, Snowdonia, Cardigan Bay and

returned to Scotland and walked 5 of the Munros of Loch Lomond, including the highest point, 1,174 metres on Ben More. The weather held and Tom enjoyed views across the whole of Southern and central Scotland.

intends to run over two days, followed by Northumberland, the Dales and the Peak District in November. Tom’s ultimate walk will take him to Snowdonia - he is just waiting for the rst snowfall of December!

Pembrokeshire coast

The Cairngorms

tackled one of the most remote and mountainous regions of Scotland; the Cairngorms. Here, Tom trekked up some of the highest mountains in the UK, which were still patched with snow in July and where he was privileged to see a herd of reindeer. Tom described this walk as “the most enjoyable and exhilarating of the Walk Wild Challenge”.

The wildest walk of the Challenge took Tom along the spectacular Pembroke Coast.

The route was designed

St Davids.

On arrival in the Lake District Tom was greeted with an electric storm, once the weather had settled he hiked 25 miles from Buttermere to Great Gable. Unfortunately, whilst descending Scafell Pike, Tom fell, rolling his ankle and causing it to swell signi cantly. Still over 11 miles from his accommodation, he had to overcome the pain to climb three more mountains, carrying his bag and trekking over difficult terrain.

Later in the year Tom

In addition, the Walk Wild Challenge has taken Tom through the Yorkshire Dales, encompassing moors, valleys, hills and villages, and the New Forest where he witnessed more wildlife than on any other walk, including the near threatened red squirrel.

As a young entrepreneur and businessman Tom has been incredibly committed to have found the time to t this challenge in to his very busy schedule. His Walk Wild Challenge will continue with the Norfolk Broads, which he

You can read more about Tom’s challenge on his website www.walknationalparks.co.uk and sponsor him at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/WalkGBNationalParks

Tom has carried his kit, wild camped part of the way, suffered injury, blisters, aches, pains and even broken bones.

This is a true challenge of endurance, not just physically but also mentally. It is admirable that Tom has found the motivation to continue, to put himself back into the wild after returning to the comfort of home between each walk, all the while spurred on to raise funds for Devon Air Ambulance as a way of saying thank you for saving the life of his sister Katie. o

winter 2017 | PATIENTS

19

So calm, so brave, so determined leanor ro ne rst contacted e on ir ulance in ugust t o ears after she had een airlifted leanor had suffered an horri c aragliding accident hen her ing colla sed and she crash landed into the hillside at el orth near inehead

A

n experienced pilot, Eleanor explained that it was a sudden change in the wind that caused her to plummet from 50’ above the ground as she was coming in to land. Her boyfriend (now husband), John, was among the spectators who witnessed the fall and rushed to help.

Eleanor’s injuries were extensive, including numerous broken ribs, broken thigh bone, lacerated kidneys and spleen, a broken lower spine, and ve breaks to her pelvis. It was a further injury, however, that caught the aircrew of Devon Air Ambulance by surprise.

Paramedic Mark Hawley explained, “Eleanor had landed so hard that the bone in her leg had broken through her heel and was impaled into the ground; I have never seen anything like it. She had landed in gorse so we had limited visibility of her foot and to start with, I couldn’t understand why we couldn’t just move her. Incredibly, Eleanor was amazingly calm. Dr Jeorge administered ketamine so we were nally able to extricate her and realising that Eleanor also had signi cant internal injuries, we called ahead to Southmead Hospital in Bristol and requested blood be available on our arrival.”

At the trauma centre in

Southmead, Eleanor was sedated for 3 weeks before coming around and learning more about her incident.

Surgeons had worked to x her pelvis, reattaching it to her spine and hips. Incredibly, despite temporary paralysis in both legs and a very real risk of amputation to her foot, surgery and muscle grafts were successful and her foot was saved. There followed a further 3 weeks in Southmead ICU before Eleanor was transferred to Derriford Hospital and then spent 2 months as an in-patient at the Plym Neuro Unit in Plymouth.

It was ve months after the accident before Eleanor slept in her own bed again.

Throughout her recovery, family, friends and colleagues were impressed by Eleanor’s grit and determination. Despite her injuries, she surprised everyone by walking down the aisle at her wedding to John, 12 months after the accident.

“I had no idea that I’d done so much damage when the accident happened,” Eleanor explained. “I remember thinking ‘just keep breathing, just keep calm’. I heard the helicopter land and was vaguely aware of the journey to hospital, but I didn’t know how bad my injuries were until many weeks later.”

Prior to her accident, Eleanor

Eleanor in hospital

“ t as e onths after the accident efore leanor sle t in her o n ed again ”

Eleanor meets paramedic Mark Hawley

had been a keen cyclist and, by way of a thank you to Devon Air Ambulance, Southmead Hospital and Plym Neuro Unit, she planned a cycle challenge of 178 miles including stops at each of the places that had helped her. Arriving at Devon Air Ambulance, Eleanor was reunited with paramedic Mark Hawley. “It’s been amazing to hear my story from Mark’s

point of view. My husband John was aware of decisions made at the scene and in the Emergency Room but he de nitely gave me a watereddown version! Learning the details from Mark has really lled in the gaps and, now, after three years of hard work, I realise how far I’ve come.”

To donate, visit: www. virginmoneygiving.com/ someonespecial/bionicbiker o

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helipad | www.daat.org

Mike Vallis & Colin Cusack

Leather Tor Fall This year had a dramatic start for Colin Cusack of Eggbuckland, Plymouth, when a walk on Dartmoor took an unexpected turn

C

olin, who had spent over 30 years in the military and worked for GWR, knew Dartmoor well; he volunteered as a Compliance Monitor for the Ten Tors Challenge and spent many days on the moor, planning and checking routes.

However, on this fateful day, Colin had been taking part in a regular training exercise on Leather Tor when, unbeknown to his walking buddy Brian Harrison, he slipped and fell.

By the time he was discovered in a gully by Mike Vallis, he was semi-conscious, hypothermic and clearly very poorly.

Mike, who was out with his daughter Jennifer, immediately called the emergency services and Devon Air Ambulance was deployed. Mike remained with Colin and, on arrival of the aircrew, assisted them in retrieving him from the gully to the aircraft below. Mike sent us an email the following day: “I wanted to write to you because I have to say, the paramedics and pilot who looked after the injured man (Colin Cusack) were simply

fantastic. And I really mean fantastic. The way they cared for Colin so efficiently and professionally was amazing.

In all the tension of the incident I didn’t remember to ask their names, so I would be very grateful if you could pass on my sincerest regards to them all, and to say I think they were truly awesome.

Apart from photography my other hobby is running and each year I take part in the Plymouth Half Marathon. This year my chosen charity will be yours, without any doubt!”

Colin was flown to Derriford Hospital where he spent many weeks. We were delighted to hear from him when he nally went home – he wrote: “Dear Devon Air Ambulance friends, I was the casualty that you guys rescued on 2nd January after I fell from Leather Tor on Dartmoor and you delivered me safely to Derriford hospital. My injuries included a broken back, a broken shoulder, broken foot, 9 fractured ribs, a fractured skull and what was later diagnosed as a severe brain

injury. In addition, I was treated for hypothermia.

I have no memory or recollection of anything from the date of the accident to 23rd February so am relying on anecdotal evidence of the events. I am however convinced that your collective actions on that day undoubtedly saved my life and I am extremely grateful for the critical decisions that pilot Ivar, Mark and Nigel made on that day and will remain indebted to you all for the professionalism and care shown.

I apologise to all for the time delay in sending this letter of gratitude, but my brain injury prevented me from doing anything with computers to the point that it became impossible. I am getting a little more con dent now and

seem to be more able to face the challenge again. I am discharged from hospital now but need to continue my rehabilitation at home by attending many appointments as an outpatient at numerous clinics. I suffer with poor vision, balance and walk with a stick now and recognise there is a long way to go still but remain a rm supporter of Devon Air Ambulance.

I look forward to being able to thank you all personally and to get a better understanding of the events of 2nd January”.

We were delighted to see Colin at the 25th anniversary celebrations at Darts Farm, and thrilled that he was able to be reunited with Mike Vallis and the helicopter paramedics – Nigel Lang and Mark Langley - who came to his assistance that day. o

Colin meets paramedics Mark Langley and Nigel Lang

winter 2017 | LOTTERY

21

LOTTERY

Pro le Tracy Owen - Fundraising Manager Email t.owen@daat.org Tracy has been with DAA for over 10 years and oversees all aspects of fundraising, including working with those who have nominated us as their Charity of the ear, business supporters and our own in-house Lottery.

SWEET SIXTEEN As we mark sixteen years since the start of Devon Air Ambulance’s own weekly inhouse lottery, Tracy looks at how it has grown from its humble beginnings in 2001 to the professional operation it is today - generating nearly £2m last year to help support our air ambulance operations.

B

ack in 2001, when we were looking for ways to provide regular income to the charity, the decision was made to start our own lottery. The rst year of being ‘live’ generated just over £250,000 but, by 2011, we generated our rst 1m!

In 2016 we saw this rise to 1.95m - which is a signi cant contribution to the £5.5m we need every year to keep our helicopters operational.

We took a decision very early on that we wouldn’t do door-to-door cash collections so we use a team

of dedicated canvassers to sign up new lottery members, promoting the lottery through various retail outlets. Our canvassers are also able to share the great feedback they get - local people who support us are often heard to say, “you never know when you might need it! . The Lottery helps us to connect with our patients and communities. Importantly, it gives everyone who plays it the chance to win great cash prizes while knowing they are helping to support a fantastic local charity.

The draw takes place every Friday lunchtime by using a RGN (Regulated Generated Number) software system which is independently operated by Tower Lotteries.

This is designed speci cally for the purpose of running a lottery, so all members can have complete con dence in every step of the process.

Our Lottery Administrator, Jane Raddon, presses the ‘magic button’ and the system does the rest!

Janes says “I always telephone that week’s 1st prize

winner and over the years, I have had some interesting reactions. Most people are absolutely thrilled when I speak to them, and I hear “I’ve never won anything before . quite a lot. Occasionally, some winners think it is a hoax call, but they are always delighted when they realise they really have won our top pri e! .

People do sometimes ask why the pri es include the gures 135. These amounts were chosen to celebrate the arrival of our rst EC135 helicopter – it’s as simple as that! o

JOIN OUR LOTTERY

i

To join our Lottery, please complete and return the form overleaf or visit www.daat.org/ lottery.

Weekly prizes – 1st prize £1,350, 2nd & 3rd prizes £135 and 10 further prizes of £50 each.

LOTTERY FACTS

Tracy (right) with Lottery Administrator Jane Raddon

On average 75p in the £1 is donated back to the Charity from each membership, with the remainder covering prizes and overheads

helipad | www.daat.org

22

Lottery Membership Application The sum of (tick one box only) 1 Chance Number £4.34 Monthly

DAATLottery Lottery Office, Office,55 Sandpiper SandpiperCourt, Court,Harrington HarringtonLane, Lane,Exeter ExeterEX4 EX48NS 4NS DAAT The address is all is youallneed us by post.us by post.

Thepostal above postalabove address youwhen needcontacting when contacting

HP1116 Staff I/D Number HP11/17 Your Details

2 Chances Numbers £8.68 Monthly

£13.00

Quarterly

£26.00

Quarterly

£52 £26.00

Annually Six Monthly

£104 £52.00

Annually Six Monthly

£52.00 Please Annually note your

£104.00will Annually first payment be £5 per number

For Official Use Only

Official Use Only

Payments to be paid on either 6th 20th of each month First payment due immediately andorthereafter on 6th or 20th of each month.

PLEASE COMPLETE IN FULL - BLOCK CAPITAL LETTERS

Mr / Mrs / Miss / Other First Name Surname Date of Birth

Instruction to your bank or building society to pay by Direct Debit

Please fill in the form and send to:

PSL re DAAT Lottery Office, 5 Sandpiper Court, Harrington Lane, Exeter EX4 8NS.

Name and full postal address of your bank or building society To: The M anager

Address

Service user number 4

4

2

2

7

6

B a n k / b u ild in g s o c ie t y

Address

Postcode

Postcode Telephone

N ame( s) of account holder( s)

Email I Confirm I am 16 yrs of age or over

B ranch sort code

Cheque Payment - Amount Received £..................

For

entries @ £1 per week per entry

Lottery promoted by Devon Air Ambulance Trust.

Devon Air Ambulance Trust is licensed by the Gambling Commission, Number 000-0005032-N-308657-001.

Responsible person: C. Creer www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk Please gamble responsibly. For advice visit www.gambleaware.co.uk DAAT is a member of the Lotteries Council and is committed to promoting a responsible approach to gambling.

Contact us at : T: 01392 469 886 E: lottery@daat.org www.daat.org

Administration Office: DAAT Lottery Office, 5 Sandpiper Court, Harrington Lane, Exeter EX4 8NS. You will shortly receive a letter from us showing your lucky number/s.

There is no need to claim as all prizes are paid automatically.

All proceeds go to support the Devon Air Ambulance Trust Charity No 1077998. Your subscription is greatly appreciated as the charity needs to raise £5.5 million a year to keep both helicopters flying. We receive no Government funding nor do we qualify for a National Lottery grant. We rely on your support, to help us to continue our essential life saving service.

Results are printed in the Plymouth & Devon Sunday Independent and published every Friday afternoon on our website at www.daat.org.

Thank you for your support - you are truly making a difference.

B ank/ building society account number

Instruction to y our bank or building society Please pay Devon Air Ambulance Trust Direct Debits from the account detailed in this Instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct Debit Guarantee. I understand that this Instruction may remain with The Air Ambulance Lottery Society and, if so, details will be passed electronically to my bank/building society.

Signature(s)

Date

• All customer funds intended for the use in future gambling and or lottery subscriptions will be held in a separate bank account or accounts relating to the relevant affiliated charity lottery and will be completely separate from the Charity’s trading income.

• We are required by our licence to inform customers about what happens to funds which we hold on account for you, and the extent to which funds are protected in the event of insolvency. www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk/consumers/protection-of-customer-funds.aspx We hold customer funds separate from Charity’s funds. This means that steps have been taken to protect customer funds but that there is no absolute guarantee that all funds will be repaid. This meets the Gambling Commission’s requirements for the segregation of customer funds at the level: medium protection.

• The licensee operates a strict no ‘cash policy’ to prevent the risk of crimes such as money laundering, to avoid the giving of illicit credit and to provide assurances that gambling activities are being conducted fairly.

Banks and building societies may not accept Direct Debit Instructions for some types of account.

By signing this form you agree to the lottery terms and conditions. For a copy of the terms and conditions please call 01392 469886.

This Guarantee should be retained by the payer.

The Direct Debit Guarantee This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay Direct Debits If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your Direct Debit PSL re DAAT Lottery will notify you 5 working days in advance of your account being debited or as otherwise agreed. If you request The PSL re DAAT Lottery to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request If an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit, by PSL re DAAT Lottery or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society – If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when PSL re DAAT Lottery asks you to.

You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.

DAAT would like to keep you informed about our work, how your support has helped keep our helicopters in the air and how you can be involved in the future.

DAAT would to keep you informed about our work, how your support If you would like to hear from us, please tick the relevant boxes below: I do not wish to like receive information by post, by telephone about DAAT’s work. has email helpedand keep helicopters in us thetoairbeand how you can be involved metobyreceive email communications about the DAAT’s work by Using textour messages helps more cost effective.

Please tick herePlease if youcontact are happy in the future.

We take the protection of your personal information very Please contact me by post email by text . seriously and don’t share your data with any third party.

Please contact me by text We promise to never share your information with any other organisation for their marketing purposes.

Please see our privacy statement at www.daat.org for detailed information about how we use your data.

White Copy = Office Yellow Copy = Customer WE DO NOT ACCEPT CASH

winter 2017 | RETAIL

23

We’re open for business in

Okehampton!

We are thrilled to say that our latest shop - on Fore Street in Okehampton o ciall o ened its doors on aturda 4th November and was an instant hit ith all our ne custo ers

C

hrissie Peel, Retail Operations Manager, said “It has been a long road to get to this point – the lease negotiations on the premises were quite complex and lengthy, but we are all delighted that we have this fantastic new location to add to our existing range of shops”.

“Thanks to everyone for their generous donations and to all the staff and volunteers who worked so hard to transform the empty shell into this

only are they getting quality yet affordable items, but they are also directly helping to fund this amazing local emergency service.

Devon Air Ambulance shops are at the heart of our communities and allow the charity to engage with people where they live. It is really important for us to have a visible presence across the whole county – our ultimate aim, by 2021, is to have 30 shops covering every corner of Devon” added Chrissie.

e lo e to recei e our good ualit donations oo s s clothes accessories to s ga es ictures orna ents collecta les and uch ore hich can e ta en in to an of our shops (between 9.00am-5.00pm). Don’t forget e can e en arrange to collect furniture and electrical ite s for our s ecialist sho in eter

“ We are already planning our next ne sho in art outh ” vibrant, quality retail shop – it looks amazing!”

“As a charity, we strive to ensure all our shops are bright, welcoming and professional. We are immensely proud of our service and anyone who shops with us knows that, not

“We are already planning our next new shop - in Dartmouth!”

Manager Louise Cowling, Assistant Manager Sarah Marshall and all our volunteers look forward to welcoming you to our Okehampton Shop.

THINKING OF VOLUNTEERING?

i

Would you like to volunteer for Devon Air Ambulance?

We always need volunteers to help in our shops – it is a great way to meet people or learn new skills, while doing something incredible for the local community. Your support and help means we can raise even more money to keep our two helicopters flying every day, saving more lives.

If you are interested in volunteering at any of our shops – or in any of our other volunteer roles – please contact Volunteer Manager, Cara Jones, at c.jones@daat.org.

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helipad | www.daat.org

Commando Dagger remembers the fallen l

I

outh oe ust e one of the nest u lic green s aces in the ith stunning ie s across the ound and ags of histor

t is also noteworthy for landmarks such as Smeaton’s Tower and a range of war memorials commemorating soldiers, sailors and airmen who lost their lives in the two World Wars e t e t nd died in re re ent n i t around the world.

A more recent addition to these rolls of honour can be found at the gates of the Royal Citadel just below the Hoe. Here, a stunning memorial in the shape of a commando dagger and made from spent ordnance from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, was unveiled to great acclaim in 2012.

The Commando Gunner Memorial was commissioned by 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery to honour the 14 soldiers killed on operations since the regiment was formed in 1962.

The design was undertaken by Simon Crosbie, a director of RIBA Chartered Le Page Architects (LPA) with stone work carried out by Plymouth based Westcountry Stonemasons.

The plinth is made from Portland Stone quarried from a ssure especially reserved for memorials. Further stonework, including reinstated paths and steps, is of granite as a reminder of Dartmoor where the commandos train, while the 6 metre

high dagger and individually cast cap badges are made from spent Herrick cartridge cases.

The memorial is inscribed with the official Commando Prayer and the base was inspired by traditional examples of stonework within Plymouth’s Royal Citadel where 29 Commando are based.

Simon Crosbie said This was a particularly sensitive and uite uni ue project. We had to generate very accurate images so that English Heritage could see exactly where the Memorial was to be located and assess its visual impact.

The outcome is stunning. We have designed it so the dagger is in your eye line as you leave the Royal Citadel’s main gates.

It sits on a grassed area which is part of the historic ravelin and we insisted that it be lit at night.”

In a letter to LPA Architects, Major Paul Greene RA, who led the project and organised fund-raising events to pay the 100,000 costs, said The memorial is majestic in every way.

It stunned all by its design when unveiled, it brought tears to so many who stood around it and it will honour our fallen for hundreds of years to come: how wonderful, how special.” o

“ he e orial is a estic in e er a t stunned all its design hen un eiled it rought tears to so an ho stood around it and it ill honour our fallen for hundreds of ears to co e ho onderful ho s ecial ”

winter 2017 | GARDENS

Winter colour, containers and compost!

Sarah Chesters gives us tips on how to brighten up the winter garden and start preparing for spring

T

he last year has been challenging for gardeners, though many plants enjoyed the extra and regular rainfall and grew well as a consequence. However, as the day length changes, so do our gardens, and seedheads from grasses and Clematis add highlights to the autumn and winter garden, which the birds will love too.

Grasses also add movement, texture and colour, and come in a vast array of sizes to suit all situations. Planted in front of a tree or large shrub with good autumn colour, the beautiful beige seedheads can really stand out and add drama to your border.

November is an excellent time for making leaf compost, perfect for mulching trees and shrubs. Take a 2 - 3m length of 1m wide chicken wire, make it into a 1m high tube, stand it on end, on a patch of soil or grass, and secure into the ground using long bamboo canes threaded through. Fill it with raked or mown leaves and cover with an old piece of carpet, or similar, to hold them down. The compost is ready in 6 - 24 months, as oak and alder leaves rot fast, whereas beech, chestnut and sycamore take longer, and evergreen leaves much longer again, though they can be shredded.

Use jute sacks, or black bin liners with plenty of holes in them, as alternative compost holders as long as the leaves are wet rst. Moisture and air are both essential to help the leaves break down.

Large tubs or containers make great Christmas or birthday presents for gardeners, as we are always running out of larger containers for our plants which just keep growing bigger ! Less mobile gardeners can continue to garden using pots, and container gardening can be a great way to encourage beginners. Buy frost-proof pots with several drainage holes in the bottom, and buy three or four feet too to keep them off the ground.

If you’re given a Poinsettia for Christmas, set yourself a challenge to keep it alive until Easter and beyond ! Given the right treatment, they can be long-lived plants and in the wilds of Mexico grow into small trees. eep them in a light, warm but not hot room, 13-15° C, away from direct sunlight and draughts, water when the compost surface has dried out and use a water mister regularly over the leaves. Feed monthly with a low nitrogen, high potassium feed and prune back the stems in April to encourage more shoots. If they have been exposed to cold before you bought them they may drop their leaves, so trim them back and water sparingly until they recover.

After Christmas, brighten up your garden with a Camellia, they need an acid garden soil, or grow them in a pot of ericaceous compost. They like to be kept moist so don’t let them dry out - especially from August to October - when they set next year’s flower buds, or those buds will drop just before they open. They are happy to be pruned and many gardeners grow them into hedges which should be pruned straight after flowering. o i e r t e t Camellia x williamsii ‘China Clay’, Miscanthus sinensis ‘Undine’, Camellia x williamsii ‘Dark Rider’, Camellia x williamsii ‘Hilo’, Camellia x williamsii r ed e i eed e d in t n in etti e ti eed e d in t n

GARDENS r

e Sarah Chesters - Education and Learning manager at RHS Rosemoor

Don’t miss Sarah’s new monthly gardening advice slot on: The Janet ipling Show, every second Thursday of the month, on BBC Radio Devon, 3 – 4pm

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helipad | www.daat.org

Treading the Boards. .

For anyone who aspires to the life of an actor, or who simply loves live theatre, Devon is the place to be. The county is blessed with scores of professional, semi-professional and amateur dramatic societies in a wonderful range of venues – from Plymouth’s Theatre Royal with its pre-West End productions to humble village halls where the annual panto involves most of the local community in one way or another...

Helipad visited a church, a former Territorial Army drill hall and a Royal Marine barracks – why? They all became theatres!!

The Globe Theatre, Plymouth Perhaps the last place you would expect to nd a theatre is within a Royal Marine barracks but that’s just what you do nd at RM Stonehouse in Plymouth – and it’s not just any old theatre. The Globe is a bijou Victorian music hall style theatre which conjures up memories of the ‘Good Old Days’ as soon as you walk in the door.

Originally built as a ‘real’ tennis court, it became a recreational space for the marines before being

TOADS production of Agatha Christie’s ‘The Hollow’

converted to a theatre in 1831, and enlarged to its current si e sometime in the 1880s. It is called the Globe not out of any homage to Shakespeare but because the Globe and Laurel constitute the cherished Royal Marine cap badge and the title of the Corps’ maga ine since 1892.

In the late Victorian era, the Globe could seat up to 600 people s uashed onto wooden planks. It must have been some experience being packed in with so many people most of whom would have been drinking and smoking!

There was only one door in

and out, so it’s a miracle there wasn’t another theatre tragedy in waiting here.

The Globe now has 240 raked seats reclaimed from a local cinema, a single horseshoe gallery, an orchestra pit and a sloped stage providing outstanding acoustics. Standing on the stage gives you a real feel of how entertainers would interact with their audiences such is the intimacy and immediacy of the venue.

During World War II many US performers graced this historic stage on their way to entertain the troops in Europe and the

U ’s own Dame Anna Neagle is known to have sung here. It was also a regular venue for the Royal Marines Band to put on concerts.

The theatre has been used for many years by a range of amateur dramatic societies and dance groups but the rising cost of security has made its use unviable and it is now ’dark’ save for the occasional lecture.

The last amateur pantomime was staged in February 2016 and there have been recent visits from the Italia Conte Dance Company.

It has now been announced that RM Stonehouse, which

winter 2017 | DEVON THEATRES was built in 1783 and is the earliest non-garrison barracks in England, is to be sold off for development and the Globe will go with it. The future for this beautiful theatre is unclear but as a Grade II

Listed structure the options for developers might be limited.

Some may argue that there are a lot of theatres currently operating in Plymouth but most would agree that there’s none quite like the Globe.

The Little Theatre, Torquay The Torquay Operatic and Amateur Dramatic Society (TOADS) Theatre Company have taken ‘Am Dram’ to another level. Based in the former St. Mark’s Church in the leafy Meadfoot area of Torquay which they acquired in 1987, this remarkable troupe of amateurs stage an impressive 10 full productions each year including wellknown thrillers, comedies and the inevitable plays of Agatha Christie. The venue is also occasionally made available to outside theatrical companies such as the local

Gilbert & Sullivan Society and, this year, the Old Bull & Bush Company of Artists who put on a one-off Music Hall and Memories Show.

The auditorium at the Little Theatre has 238 seats providing a wonderful view of the stage but it is behind the scenes where you begin to understand how this company is able to sustain such a full-on production programme.

In addition to the dressing rooms, a green room and two sizeable rehearsal rooms (one in use for the following production, the other for read-throughs for the next one in line), there is a huge costume store, extensive and painstakingly catalogued prop stores, workshops and all the back stage paraphernalia you would expect of a professionally run operation.

There is also a bar, coffee shop, and foyer with box office. The recon guration of the redundant church has been brilliantly conceived creating a working theatre while maintaining the utmost respect for its former use.

The organ went to another church but the altar remains protected behind the stage.

All this is made possible by a very dedicated team of 138 volunteers. TOADS is a charity with no salaried employees, only hiring sub-contractors for specialist scene construction.

They do, however have a number of retired professional actors as members and bene t from the varied backgrounds of the volunteers

who bring a range of different skills and talents.

The company also maintains a 40 strong Youth Theatre and has 90 members of its Theatre Club who buy tickets for the entire season.

The 10 one-week productions are planned meticulously, well in advance, and each is assigned a different director. Thorough planning ensures that consecutive productions do not have similar themes and challenges, so a big cast production is not followed by another and a thriller might be followed by a musical, a farce or a whodunnit.

Despite receiving no grants, the Little Theatre is still extremely successful, with strong local support for is varied and imaginative programme. Recent productions have included Agatha Christie’s ‘The Hollow’, the period drama, ‘The Heiress’, and Neil Simon’s comedy ‘Last of the Red Hot Lovers’. The New Year brings the thriller, ‘The Perfect Murder’, a rare production of the musical comedy of ‘Coward at Sea’, and the light-hearted ‘Around the World in 80 days’.

Busy, varied and always entertaining, the Little Theatre has something for everyone. www.toadslittletheatre.co.uk

The Plough Arts Centre, Torrington Located on the site of an historic pub which was demolished in 1912 to make way for a Territorial Army Drill Hall, the Plough Arts Centre in Torrington, North Devon, is a remarkably versatile venue which aims to “entertain, inspire, educate and challenge in equal measure” – and it does.

The building houses a 240 seat auditorium providing live events including theatre, stand-up, music, dance, poetry, talks and lm screenings that use state-of-the-art digital projection, not only enabling audiences to see the very

27

latest movie releases but to experience art house and foreign lms. They can also screen live performances – streamed via satellite - from the likes of the Royal Shakespeare Company, the National Theatre and Glyndebourne. The venue houses exhibition rooms, workshop spaces and a dance studio and, being at the heart of the community, a nice café/bar.

The numbers are impressive.

In the last year, the Plough has staged 220 live events, 320 lm screenings, 24 exhibitions and hundreds of workshops for both adults and children ranging from jewellery-making and language courses to a recent penny whistle session for 8-12 year-olds.

The centre also organises a programme of outdoor summer events at venues around the county including RHS Rosemoor, Castle Hill Filleigh, Hartland Abbey, Arlington Court and Castle Drogo.

The list of stars who have appeared at the Plough Arts Centre is also truly impressive. From doyens of stage and screen, such as Sir Ian McKellen and Dame Edith Evans, to jazz maestros George Melly, John Dankworth and Cleo Laine.

Some of the greats of comedy – from the legendary Frankie Howerd to current stars Sarah Millican and Alan Carr – have made people laugh here.

Politicians and poets have also graced the stage and, in 2018, Griff Rhys-Jones

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winter 2017 DEVON THEATRES will air ‘stories, anecdotes, reminiscences and outright lies’ in a live performance.

This just gives a very small glimpse of the galaxy of talent that have made their way to Torrington over the 42 years of the Plough’s existence.

The Plough Arts Centre is unashamedly a local treasure but also reaches out far beyond the immediate community. For a smaller organisation, it has a massive impact, achieving it with a small army of volunteers and an even smaller number of employees. It is also helped by the subscriptions paid by the 30-strong ‘Plough Supporters’ and by a number of business sponsors, many of whom hold events there.

The centre is a registered charity, largely self-funded, with any pro t being ‘ploughed’ back in to improve facilities and fund community initiatives such as transport for schools.

Above all the Plough is about accessibility to the arts for all – artists, audiences and visitors. theploughartscentre.org.uk

Theatre Tragedy in Exeter A tragic incident at another Devon venue changed the way theatres and public buildings were designed.

On the 5th September 1887, an expectant audience of 800 was at the recently opened Theatre Royal in Exeter to enjoy a new comedy called ‘Romany Rye’. Tragically, a devastating re broke out when a gas jet illuminating the stage set light to a gauze curtain causing the deaths of 186 people, still the largest loss of life in a single property re in the country.

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The theatre – built with little regard to safety - was a labyrinth of spiral staircases, half blocked doorways, small rooms and few exits. As a result of that tragedy 130 years ago, new safety regulations were introduced for all public buildings including adequate re exits and safety curtains for all theatres.

The Theatre Royal was situated on the corner of Longbrook Street and New Road North, just behind today’s John Lewis building.

Empires, Palaces and Hippodromes Few people know of the contribution one man from Newton Abbot made to the history of theatre.

Frank Matcham (1854-1920) was a professional theatre architect who designed over 200 of country’s best known palaces of entertainment.

Most have now been demolished - destroyed by bombing or turned into bingo halls and office blocks - but many famous ones still remain, including the London Palladium, the Hackney Empire, the Lyric Theatre in London and the Bristol Hippodrome.

It wasn’t however just the volume of his work that makes Frank Matcham special. There was something more to his philosophy of design – the total overall ‘experience’.

Matcham believed that, when the audience walked into a theatre, they should be overwhelmed by the sights and sounds, the richness of the décor and the wonder and beauty of the space.

To achieve this, Matcham designed the interiors of his theatres to be as sumptuous as possible, from the rich red carpets, the gilded ornaments and velvet curtains, to the flying nymphs and charging chariots adorning the ceiling, and the impressive roof domes.

Matcham also introduced cantilevered balconies

Matcham’s London Palladium in Soho

“ Few people know of the contribution one man from Newton Abbot made to the history of theatre ”

Frank Matcham

so that, for the rst time, everyone could see the stage no matter where you sat. He was a Devon born man who quite literally

transformed how theatres were enjoyed then – and continue to be today – by ensuring literally ‘awesome’ experiences.o

helipad | www.daat.org

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Go wild with your little ones on

Dartmoor!

WALK r

e Alex Saunders-Page Specialist Paramedic Critical Care

Alex joined DAA in 2016 and is currently studying for a Masters degree in Prehospital Critical Care Retrieval and Transfer

Critical Care Paramedic, Alex Sanders-Page, shows how walking the moor can be an enjoyable experience for young and old alike

D

artmoor National Park makes up an impressive 14% of the whole of Devon, providing a vast natural playground for residents and visitors to the county.

For the actively minded, walking, climbing, mountain biking, kayaking and even caving are all activities that can be enjoyed on Dartmoor. Introducing children to Dartmoor can be a fun experience but can be daunting at rst – however, with the right planning, knowledge and the promise of ‘climbing a mountain’, the beautiful but sometimes inhospitable landscape of Dartmoor soon becomes a playground of adventure for you and the whole family. My wife Hayley and I often walk the moors with our children, Lily (7) and Arthur (5), and Grandma often comes along to walk with us - it really is something you can do regardless of your age.

For anyone new to the moor, or who wants to build up their con dence, there are numerous options that involve little planning - park the car and walk a short distance direct to a tor summit and just

enjoy the stunning views and appreciate the fresh air!

Once you have mastered that, the next step is to nd an interesting, short – and child friendly – walk. This can prove to be a bit challenging but, as a family, we like this 3½ mile circular walk, which you can make longer or shorter as you wish. For your rst walk, or for those with limited map reading experience, you can simply follow the route up to the tor then retrace your steps back to the car park. However, it is advised that anyone walking on Dartmoor should be prepared – make sure you have the right clothing and equipment, and ideally are con dent in using an ordnance survey map and compass (use OL28 Dartmoor for this walk).

Take binoculars for wildlifespotting and ‘on the go’ snacks for your little ones to keep them happy until lunchtime – in good weather, it is lovely to take a picnic up to the tor.

This circular walk should take about two hours (not counting stops for food or exploration).

Start at the car park which is accessed by taking the track adjacent to the river Plym off the main road by Cadover

Lily at Great Trowlesworthy

The Flagpole

winter 2017 | DEVON WALK bridge (Grid Reference SX 5700 6318). Follow the track until it ends at the car park on the right with the summit of Great Trowlesworthy Tor visible directly in front of you. The car park lies on the border of the local china clay works which provides an interesting aspect to this walk and becomes more visible as you go along. Coming out of the car park on foot, head in a diagonal direction to the right towards an obvious lone tree. As you approach the lone tree you will see Big Pond, a large reservoir of water that is used at the Lee Mill china clay works. Continue past the pond taking the track to the left and over the stream.

The footpath now follows the remains of the Whitehill Yeo china clay works, but be careful on this section children and dogs need to be kept away from the edge due to the precipitous drop! China clay has been mined in this area since 1830, 84 years after china clay was rst discovered in Cornwall. The landscape of the china clay works can best be described as ‘moon like’ and provides an interesting contrast to the moorland surrounding it.

When you reach the head of the pit, you have two options – you can take the direct route towards the tor but beware of the boggy sections! Alternatively, the

Dip your toes in the River Plym

footpath around the border of the pit eventually splits off to the left and starts to wind its way uphill. The footpath goes for approximately 250 metres before taking a sharp right-hand bend where you will see a small footpath off to the left – sight of the summit of Great Trowlesworthy Tor easily guides you in the right direction. For the extra adventurous, there are numerous tracks up to the summit, but there are a couple

ground provide the perfect setting for a child’s imagination – my children particularly like jumping from one stone to another to avoid the murky depths of the imaginary sea between them!

At 357 metres high, Great Trowlesworthy is considered a medium sized tor and, on reaching the rocky outcrops, you can explore it as much or as little as you like and take in the amazing views! Looking back in the direction you have

“ the beautiful but sometimes inhospitable landscape of Dartmoor soon becomes a playground of adventure ” of water sources that run down the hill and, while there will be no need for a militarystyle river crossing, you will need to be careful if you want to avoid getting your feet wet!

As you get closer to the tor the scattering of granite boulders become more apparent - the sprawling boulders surrounding the bases of many of Dartmoor’s tors are a feature that are almost as well known as the tors themselves. Care needs to be taken crossing these features due to gaps and crevasses that can remain hidden beneath ferns and moss. However, many lone stones secured into the

come gives an impressive vista of the china clay industry and Plymouth sound.

Continue your walk west towards the next rocky outcrop visible a short distance away (approximately 370 metres) - this is Little Trowlesworthy Tor. The walk between the two tors is of interest due to the presence of a large cylindrical granite boulder known as “The Flagpole”. Originally carved to house a flag pole to celebrate the independence of Devonport from Plymouth in the 1800’s, the reason for its current resting place is a mystery. Perhaps it was too heavy to move or

31

was abandoned when the carver realised Devonport wasn’t going to be granted independence after all!

After walking to Little Trowlesworthy, continue in a south westerly direction which takes you towards the farmstead of Trowlesworthy Warren house. Following this direction you will come across a leat which requires crossing; there are numerous footbridges crossing the water so just keep an eye out for one. Follow the clear track around the farm boundary, alongside the banks of the River Plym – a very inviting site on a warm day. Keep on the footpath and cross the Blacka Brook stream using the footbridge. You now have two options to get back to the car park. Follow the track to the main tarmacked road and turn left which will bring you back to your starting point. If you are feeling particularly adventurous, you can continue your walk cross-country along the small valley; this will provide interesting views back towards the tors with signs of the Neolithic man that once lived in the area - stone circles, settlements and two stone rows.

However you and your children enjoy the wonders of Dartmoor, check out www. visitdartmoor.co.uk for lots of ideas for walks for all levels and abilities o

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helipad | www.daat.org

A very different summer...

Saturday 5th August was another busy day for Devon’s Air Ambulances – and, coincidentally, TWO jobs on the same day were to help people in difficulty in East Looe, Cornwall.

E

arly in August, Pippa and Murray, from Buckinghamshire, surprised their children – Ethan and little sister Eleanor - with a weekend visit to Cornwall.

After arriving late on Friday night, they decided to head to Looe for the day. The family enjoyed a fabulous morning crabbing and rock pooling.

Murray, Pippa and 6-year old Eleanor had taken the low route back to the beach from the rock pools. Ethan, being the explorer, chose the high route! They were back at the beach when Ethan, who was on the top of Pen Rocks, slipped on loose pebbles and fell heavily onto rocks below.

Murray immediately ran to his son and was shocked to see Ethan’s facial injuries.

Murray could see that Ethan had broken his arm and knew he might also have other broken bones and possibly internal injuries. Keeping his son calm and still, and with the help of another couple, Murray asked Pippa to phone the emergency services.

As a visitor to the area and with no visible landmarks on the beach, Pippa was unable to give an exact location of where they were. She was relieved to learn that the Air Ambulance was being deployed. A surprise to many locals on the beach that morning was that, with Cornwall’s Air Ambulance already deployed on another mission, it was the Devon helicopter that arrived. A land ambulance was also

despatched and the RNLI was also involved. It was a nervewracking time for everyone as Ethan was stretchered from the rocks and up the beach to the waiting helicopter.

Initially, the aircrew planned to fly Ethan with mum Pippa to The Children’s Hospital in Bristol, with Murray and Eleanor driving to make the journey to join them there.

However, concerns over Ethan’s head injury during the flight changed their minds and he was flown directly to Derriford hospital.

On arrival at the hospital, Ethan was assessed and scanned. He was found to have two breaks to his right arm, two breaks to his pelvis and severe lacerations to his face. He was kept in hospital for 4 nights before being allowed home. He was wheelchair-bound and under strict instructions not to put ANY weight down while his broken pelvis healed. As an ‘outdoor boy’, a county cricketer, performance swimmer and sports fanatic, Ethan’s summer had de nitely

Ethan on the mend

taken a different turn!

One month after the incident, Pippa was pleased to tell us that Ethan was out of his wheelchair and had returned to school at the start of the autumn term. His pelvis and broken arm will be monitored closely as he

grows but his consultants and the whole family are amazed at his miracle recovery.

“Thank you for all of your help” added Pippa “Without doubt the emergency services and all at Derriford made the difference .o

winter 2017 | PATIENTS

33

Later that day, Devon’s Air Ambulance was called to attend another incident over the county border into Cornwall, again in Looe

B

rian Cox and his partner, Sarah, were staying with friends in Bude when, on the last day of their holiday, they decided to go for a day-trip to Looe. The sea looked inviting so they decided to go in for a dip.

As Brian and his friend Bryan Orman set off for their swim, Brian commented through chattering teeth that the water was pretty chilly but gured he’d soon warm up. Bryan soon called it a day, but Brian continued swimming on - until he realised how tired he was feeling and decided to turn

back to shore. On looking around, however, he was surprised to realise that he wasn’t where he had expected to be and was now unable to see the beach.

He saw a jetty and swam towards it.

Brian remembers a couple of youngsters were crabbing and they asked if he’d enjoyed his swim. He was unable to speak and assumed it was because of the cold - and how tired he was feeling. He sat down on a bench, thinking he’d just have a few minutes ‘shut-eye’ lying down.

Unaware of any time lapse – and thinking just a few minutes had gone by – when Brian woke up, he knew he had to get back to Sarah on the beach and he wanted to ensure his friend had got back safely too. But Brian was the ‘wrong side’ of the jetty, so he began to walk up to the road and along the river bank through the woods and onto the road. Still cold and dressed only in his wetsuit, he was relieved when a passing car offered him a lift – and amazed when he learned that the beach he had actually started his swim from was

stroke – something that Brian himself found quite shocking.

Devon’s Air Ambulance arrived and conveyed Brian to Derriford where it was discovered that one of his arteries was 90% blocked.

With treatment to clear the artery, Brian was relieved that his speech recovered immediately and, after just over a week in hospital, he was allowed home.

“I had no idea that everyone was looking for me, Brian explained later.

“My disappearance had alerted the police, the RNLI, the coastguards and then

Scott with daughter, Ellie Scott with daughter, Bryan Ellie and Brian

2½ miles from where he was now! When he arrived back in Looe, Brian felt quite disorientated. As the driver dropped him off, Brian heard people calling to him. He was particularly surprised when a man asked, “Are you the guy who’s missing Finally, a police officer approached him and, having con rmed that he was indeed Brian Cox who had been reported missing 6 ½ hours earlier, arranged for the RNLI to take Brian to the lifeboat station where a doctor was waiting, along with a very relieved Sarah, his daughter Lily and his friend Bryan.

The doctor immediately recognised that Brian showed signs of having suffered a

Devon Air Ambulance. I had no sense of time and didn’t know I was ill. I have so much gratitude to everyone; I couldn’t have had a better service anywhere in the world. They were awesome and get 11 out of 10 for everything they did that day.

Now I’m planning to do some serious fundraising! o

Brian Cox and partner Sarah.

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helipad | www.daat.org

. . . s r e m r a W r e t n i W

Christmas is coming, the cook is getting stressed!

But don’t panic, the glorious food of Devon is here to help…

W

ell, by now, after the Jack O’ Lanterns will have been well and truly extinguished and Guy Fawkes has met his seasonal fate, we can turn our minds to the winter festivities.

As a chef, I am very privileged to be asked to do cookery demonstrations all over the country and, this year, I have travelled as far and wide as Builth Wells in Wales, Malvern in Worcestershire and Broadstairs in Kent.

Even though they have been amazing events with lots of fantastic regional produce, coming home to Devon is always a joy – and, after some of the lovely autumnal weather we have experienced recently, the views across the Exe Estuary from my home, or looking across Torbay from a calm Paignton beach, makes me realise how lucky I am to live here.

And, even though the nights are dark and cold at this time of year, the foodie calendar has lots of wonderful flavours for us to enjoy.

The game season is in full swing so, go on, have a go!

Try a casserole of Exmoor venison nished with a little sloe gin, served with creamy mash and wonderful cabbage with crispy bacon. Perhaps think about pigeon marinated in Oriental spices and served on skewers with a satay dip.

Ask your local butcher to source these for you - it’s going to be a really bumper year for feathered game so prices should be cheap too.

Recently, I had the privilege of tasting some amazing

diver-caught scallops. I know they are an indulgence but I believe they are seafood at its simplest and best - just pan roasted with a good dollop of butter, a squeeze of lemon and fresh parsley.

Speaking of sh and seafood, our local shermen will be braving the worst of the winter weather to bring us great sh such as hake, or beautiful cod and flat sh such as brill or plaice. Ask your local shmonger for some really large llets of any of these

warming soups or pumpkin pies. Try homity gratin with potatoes and leeks with a breadcrumb, cheese and herb topping, bubbled under a hot grill, or perhaps cauliflower cheese spiced with a good dollop of English mustard, lots of Quickes extra mature cheddar and crisp streaky bacon – they are all lling and tasty winter warmers.

Or even try a spicy vegetable curry with potatoes, squash and leeks

“ I love the fact that, during this part of the gastronomic calendar, all the ‘unfashionable’ vegetables come into season, ” wonderful sh bake them in the oven in a foil parcel with fennel and a dash of white wine or simply grill and serve with creamy celeriac puree and perhaps a brown crab meat butter!

Just like Devon Air Ambulance, the guys and girls from the RNLI go out in all weathers to look after our seagoing folk without question, so make sure you give generously to both of these fab charities.

I love the fact that, during this part of the gastronomic calendar, all the ‘unfashionable’ vegetables come into season, such as parsnips, salsify, brassicas (including sprouts!), squash, leeks, purple sprouting and caulis in all their wonderful colours. This is great news as we can make fantastic

nished with cauliflower Bhaji and toasted cashews, served with a pilau rice – delicious and guaranteed to warm those winter cockles!

The British fruit season has drawn to a close and I hope - like myself - your store cupboard is full of home-made jams, pickles and preserved fruits ready to be raided in the long winter months ahead. Although saying that, I was amazed that I was still picking strawberries from my hanging basket outside the kitchen door at the end of October so our Devon climate must have been very mild (and very tasty they were too!).

And, don’t forget, this is the perfect time for warming, traditional puddings. There are still a few British apples and pears about so get

crumbling! Or, as my mother used to do when I was growing up, take a whole Bramley apple, take out the core, ll the hole with brown sugar, sultanas and a little mixed spice, bake in a medium oven until soft and nish with lashings of custard - a simple dessert but very satisfying. Poach some pears in a little red wine, with some pieces of orange, a medium chilli and a few juniper berries. Serve warm with thick whipped cream or ice cream – spicy and warming - perfect for a December evening.

Now it would be silly of me not to mention Christmas.

Your puddings should be safely stored away ready to be flamed in copious amounts of cider brandy, and the cake is being regularly fed, ready for its winter icing covering.

When it comes to the 25th December, I always say to any home cook do as much preparation as you can in advance, so that the big day is a little easier and as stress-free as possible. Rope everyone in to help so that it’s a real team effort rather than just one poor person slaving away all day and who is then too tired to enjoy the festivities. Bearing that in mind, I have chosen a recipe for this issue that is both easy, frugal and a reminder of those slightly warmer sunny days we enjoyed, using a product from Creedy Carver that probably we don’t use as much as we should.

Anyway, enjoy the season’s eatings, indulge in hearty Devon bounty and we’ll be ready for the New Year! o

winter 2017 | FOOD & DRINK

d ri

ed ev n it nd r e ry

Serves 4 rver d e di ed red ni n di ed ve ri r ed ri rin i ed t ed ri ee t tin ed t t e t ed re r e ry n ed i e dr ined nd rin ed red e er ed ye e er ed ve et e i tr ir in ive i t ni reedy

n r e ryin n r nt ed e in itt e ve et e i r in te e ide nd t en tr n er nt te rn t e e t d n nd in t e re inin ve et e i nd d t t e ni n ri ri nd r e ry r in te nti t e ni n re t Add t e ri nd e er nd ntin e t ent y r rt er in te Add t e i e t t e nd t nd rin t ent e i r n er t i i t re int er r er e e n it t nd e er nd dd t e d e e id n t e di nd n i in

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! y o j n e . . .

FOOD & DRINK r

e Richard Hunt - Chef

Devon born and bred, Richard Hunt, consultant Chef and culinary judge has worked in renowned restaurants and hotels across the UK and in Europe and is now proprietor of the Devon Scone Company

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helipad | www.daat.org

Drama at the

Brixham Heritage Regatta

On 28th May this year, James Thomas was on his yacht in Torbay, enjoying the atmosphere of the Brixham Heritage Regatta, when events took an unexpected turn…

James tells the story:

O

ur yacht, Ivory Gull, was taking part in the Brixham Heritage Regatta sailing event. We were enjoying a few laps around Torbay when, during the second lap, we noticed a lugger had decided to retire. They started their engine and began turning towards us.

There was plenty of room to turn and we assumed that the lugger was under competent control. However, as they came closer our skipper and I suddenly noticed both of those on board were standing by the mast looking astern; their yacht was not under control and now dangerously close to us. I went on deck to see if I could fend them off but, in no time, the lugger’s bowsprit had collided with us and had cut across my leg, causing an open break of the tibia and bula and terrible muscle and skin damage.

Luckily, my wife and I managed to extract the

remains of my leg and our skipper, who is well trained in rst aid, managed to stop two arteries bleeding. The lifeboat responded to our ‘mayday’ and quickly got across the bay to help. They checked the leg and gave me Entonox – gas and air which helped.

It then took about 30-40 minutes to get to the lifeboat pontoon with the lifeboat crewmember helping us.

Once tied up we were met by medics from the lifeboat plus, almost immediately, the Air Ambulance crew. I was stripped and wrapped, made comfortable and transferred to the stretcher for the Air Ambulance. The crew were very attentive and even managed to protect my dignity from the hundreds of curious on-lookers.

The flight was very reassuring to me as the crew monitored and spoke to me encouragingly throughout. I was quite calm even though I realised that my life had been at risk and my right leg

was still at risk. A twelveminute flight to Derriford was followed by a smooth transfer to Resus where I was met by another highly professional team that manoeuvred my leg back into shape - I remember seeing my foot that had been grey/blue was now pink again! Following two orthopaedic operations and a long plastic surgery operation, I was moved to a

James and his wife Sally aboard Ivory Gull

Ambulance enough for the key part they played in saving my life and my leg.

“ I cannot thank the Air Ambulance enough for the key part they played in saving my life and my leg ” ‘baking room’ for three days at 27ºc, which apparently encourages healing. Again, I was closely monitored which gave me confidence that the skin grafts were taking and that my battered body was coping. I was released to recuperate at home on the following Wednesday and am still making progress.

I cannot thank the Air

Their excellent physical care helped me keep calm and gave me con dence, and the rapid smooth flight delivered me directly – and speedily - to the Resus room. Thank you.

Happily, James came along to the celebrations at Darts Farm for DAA’s 25th anniversary, and was able to thank the paramedics personally. o

winter 2017 | DEVON PEOPLE

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The Art of Flying eli ad et e on ir ulance ilot a tain oss hite and learned a out his hidden talent not onl for ing helico ters ut for dra ing the

A

fter gaining a degree in engineering and having spent a year racing a yacht around the world, 22-yearold Ross White made the de i i n t t n e nt r i e ined the Royal Navy and spent t e ne t ye r yin er in e i ter e re e in ne ev n Air A n e i t in When Ross joined the Royal Navy in 2002, little did he know that, 13 years later, his passion for helicopters would extend beyond flying - to drawing them.

Ross has always held Ross at his an interest d y in design.

He originally anticipated taking a degree in this area but, with better job prospects elsewhere, he temporarily left this dream behind him. It was during some downtime in 2015 that his interest in art resurfaced as he began drawing an aircraft he knew well - the Merlin helicopter. He soon discovered he had a talent for drawing helicopters and his portfolio began to expand to include other military aircraft.

Ross creates his pictures using marker pens - he explained that pens are used by designers as they are perfect for creating really

accurate technical drawings which make them ideal for capturing military aircraft in incredible detail. Ross said he wants his drawings to be as accurate as possible so it is important to him to capture the essence of each aircraft while, at the same time, being sympathetic to its use. As he describes his creative process he notes “these technical drawings re uire a technical medium and alternatives such as paint are often very messy and lack accuracy”.

With over 15 different shades of grey pen and an everexpanding collection of coloured pens, Ross has now invested in a specialist printer and paper so he can produce the prints himself. With each picture taking anywhere from 10 – 25 hours to complete, Ross explains how creating each drawing has a speci c and very methodical process; an important rst step is laying out his pens in shade order which ensures he picks up the correct one. Ross explains “coloured pictures are the hardest to get right as there can be 5-6 layers of pen just to get one speci c colour and shade correct on one small part of the aircraft. Apart from a number which indicates

their shade, all the pens look the same so, in the past, I have picked up the wrong pen and destroyed hours worth of work.

It takes a lot of concentration but is essentially “advanced colouring in a modest Ross laughs.

With more and more drawings in his portfolio, friends and colleagues began asking if they could purchase his prints or re uest specialist commission work.

With demand increasing, Ross set up his website www.rwhiteartwork.co.uk for people to purchase his

limited-edition prints. “I don’t do it for the money though says Ross “I just think it is nice if someone has one of my pictures up on their wall”.

This year Ross drew the Devon Air Ambulance helicopter, in celebration of our 25th anniversary and he hasn’t ruled out drawing more of our helicopter in the future.

Currently his focus remains on helicopters, but as time allows Ross hopes to expand his drawings to other aircraft and, who knows, there may even be the odd navy frigate in his drawing future, I have all the grey pens after all he says. o

“ Ross explains how creating each dra ing has a s eci c and er methodical process ”

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helipad | www.daat.org

Business On Board!

We are passionate about Devon, its people, producers and businesses – without them, we would not be able to provide our fantastic service to those who need us.

We are therefore grateful to all the local companies around the county who continue to support Devon Air Ambulance. Here are just a few of our amazing usiness su orters and so e of the a s the ha e offered their hel Nu-Heat, Honiton

EE, Plympton Supporting DAA as their Charity of the Year 2017. The star prize at their summer DAA fundraising event was for two lucky members of staff to take part in our “live emergency demonstration” at our 25th anniversary party at Darts Farm in September. It was only £1 to enter and it raised £1,800! Jennifer Nicholson and Shane Colmer were the winners and got to be ‘rescued’ from the scenario of a motorcycle versus car collision! They said “It was a great insight into how much work goes into what DAA and the other emergency services do”.

We were delighted that Nu-Heat were also celebrating their 25th anniversary this year. Earlier in the year, they held a garden party for staff and family and all the money raised was donated to DAA. Via their Just Giving page, we have received over £2,200.

Calor – Start from the Heart Campaign

Black Tor Brewery and Ventons Devon Cyder In celebration of our 25th anniversary, thank you to both of these local producers for creating a special beer and cider for us – the brilliantly named ‘Down Draught’ and ‘Thirst Responder’ – both of which would make great presents for Christmas! (check out your local stockists).

Calor ‘gifted’ their staff a day to spend volunteering for a good cause. Staff from the Wales and West Region chose DAA and spent a day with us - painting, tidying and carrying out some much needed maintenance at our Eaglescott airbase.

summer 2017 | BUSINESS ON BOARD

Nationwide Repair Centres

Grand Summer Draw Prizes

With five sites across the county (and as part of the Air Ambulance Association Charity who support all 22 members nationally), the Devon sites organised a combined 5-a-side football match and a sponsored sky dive. A brave employee in Barnstaple also had our logo tattooed on his leg and his head shaved!!

A special thank you to Vospers, Holidaycottages.co.uk , Mr D Quick and Crealy Park who donated the fantastic – and very sought after – prizes for our annual Grand Summer Draw. The thought of winning a new car, holiday vouchers or a weekend ‘lodge’ break really helped us to sell tickets, and contributed to us raising an amazing £39,000 overall.

The Exeter Thank you to The Exeter (Healthcare and Protection Insurance) for sponsoring, the DAA 2017 Dragon Boat Festival for the second time.

Charities of the Year Thank you to the following businesses for choosing Devon Air Ambulance as their Charity of the Year 2017 – we have enjoyed working with you all!

• British Ceramic Tile • DCH (Devon and Cornwall Housing) • Elsevier

39

There are lots of different ways your business can get involved We love to hear about your imaginative fundraising ideas, and thank you to all the local companies who raise money for us. However, there are lots of other ways that you and your business could help – you could:

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Nominate us as your ‘Charity of the Year’ – we can help by supporting all your fundraising events;

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Offer us a fabulous item to use as a ‘prize’, either at one of our events or for our Star Letters in Helipad;

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Provide your time and services, or sponsor a specific element of one of DAA’s own annual events;

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Help us by volunteering - we always have lots of different (and unusual) opportunities for your staff to help, and which we can tailor to suit the skills you have in your business.

If you would like to chat about the ways in which your business could support Devon Air Ambulance, email Fundraising Manager, Tracy Owen, on t.owen@daat.org or call (01392) 466666.

MAKE DAAT YOUR CHOSEN CHARITY

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nt t e i

t nt t e i

t

People often ask what process is used when the Air Ambulance needs to land at a community landing site at night and ho does this differ fro landing in the daylight? We thought it would be interesting to look at a few of the key aspects of a community landing site and how these come together to help our pilots and paramedics operate at night.

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en yin d rin t e d y t ere i et r ed re r ndin t e ir r t t n in ident ir t y t e re t itive y identi y t e in ident ti n n e t t een ieved t ey d ve t eir ttenti n t in r it e ndin ite ne r t t e in ident Having selected a possible site, the pilot would fly a circuit of that site to check for si e and shape and any obstructions, wires or loose debris that could affect a landing. If there is any doubt, the pilot may need to do a further recce of the site but at a lower altitude. When the landing site has been con rmed and assessed as suitable then, and only then, will the aircraft

commence an approach. At this stage of flight there is no talking between the crew and ‘all eyes’ are looking out of the aircraft for obstacles or dangers.

Contrast the above with a night approach to land at a community landing site. Once the pilot has con rmed to the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service Dispatcher (HEMSD) that they can respond to an incident, the crew will be briefed on the landing site (with information collected through the landing site survey). These details can also be accessed by the crew from an ipad when en-route.

Also at this time, the HEMSD will use a dedicated mobile phone to ‘dial up’ a community

landing site and activate the lights. The remote switching unit located at the site will then send a text to the HEMSD and pilot to con rm the lights have been activated at the location.

As the pilot and crew near the landing site using Night Vision Goggles, they can positively identify the site and then continue with the approach procedure. This again will consist of a circuit of the site just to check for any obstructions or people, using a bright spotlight located underneath the aircraft. If the area is clear, then the pilot will commence an approach to land safe in the knowledge that there are no unknown obstacles or dangers and there

is more than enough space to land the aircraft.

Using community sites to land at night offers a safer, more efficient and, in some cases uicker approach than landing during the day at an ad-hoc site. Once on the floodlit surface, paramedics can use a site map to help locate access points, gates and footpaths and parking areas for land ambulances.

Again, using this approach helps to drive speed and safety of the service at night.

Once the incident has been attended, the aircrew will depart from the site and the pilot will notify the HEMSD who will deactivate the lights at the community landing site. o

A snapshot of the community landing site initiative so far...

• •

•

• •

Communities in Devon have now helped set up over 50 night landing sites and there are a further 140 sites being developed. Can you help set one up where you live DAA has responded to over 60 HEMS incidents at night, all patients who we would not have been dispatched to before November 2016. Please remember we don’t know who we have helped during the day or night (due to patient con dentiality), so we welcome contact from patients or their families.

DAA have committed over 170k in grant funding to help communities set up their night landing site – these funds are being used to install lighting solutions plus improve emergency access at sites. our Air Ambulance now flies until midnight every day and we will be extending the service again within the coming months... watch this space.

A massive thank you to all the individuals and organisations that are helping to set up community landing sites and making our night operations a success – we could not have achieved this without your support!

Community Landing Sites

winter 2017 | NIGHT FLYING

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COMMUNITY LANDING SITES r

e o

ussell

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unit

anding ites e elo

ent

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i t.russell@daat.org Toby joined us in 2015 with a brief to work with local communities to establish a county-wide network of night landing sites. To nd out more about his work and how your community can get involved visit www.daat.org.

CASE STUDY: SETTING UP A NIGHT LANDING SITE IN LAPFORD the site to meet DAA requirements. Just the job for the local Lapford is one of a number of communities that have Young Farmers Club who, together with a couple of willing recently celebrated the launch of their night landing site. The neighbouring farmers along with their vehicles and the development of the site at Lapford Primary School is a great promise of bacon butties for all, soon had the job done! example of how a rural village in Devon has worked together We were then able to submit, and have granted, a to develop a night landing site for Devon Air Ambulance. planning application for the lighting column and so we We caught up with Ian Hemsworth, Chairman of Lapford were ready to go. Nearly 6 months later, the lights are up Parish Council, to nd out more about how their community and the site is operational – we have also had our rst visit landing site came about. As Ian explained: from the Air Ambulance although, thankfully, this was just “Devon Air Ambulance are working with communities to for a familiarisation flight. set up night landing sites in Devon. Why don’t we try to get On the 5th October Lapford school children and staff, villagers one here in Lapford…?

It was a conversation in the local pub back in 2016 that soon and other supporters gathered in great numbers to attend a blessing of the site carried out by the Reverend Lindsey Starrs. got the village working towards getting a community landing As Chairman of the Parish Council, I was delighted to be able site up and running for DAA. I rst met with Toby Russell from to thank all those involved in DAA to talk through the initiative “ e i dren nd t ff t rd this wonderful achievement, our and discuss possible sites and we soon identi ed our local ri ry re de i ted t t village has once again shown how it can pull together to bene t primary school playing eld t eir e d n e ed the whole community. Thank you offered an excellent location.

Lapford and thank you DAA”.

A meeting with Terry Pullen, ni t ndin ite ” The launch event in October Estates Manager at Chulmleigh was also an opportunity for Devon Air Ambulance to thank Academy Trust, and Clare Wilmott Head of Lapford Primary School uickly established everyone recognised the bene ts the school for their support and explain to school children how the lighting would be activated in the event of any to the local community and the school readily supported the emergency. We hope this is the start of a longer-term project. partnership with the school as Head of Lapford Primary Now our efforts focused on the fundraising. With just under School Clare Wilmott said: 900 inhabitants in the village needing to raise the funds seemed The children and staff at Lapford Primary School are daunting at rst but but our community soon rose to the delighted that their school eld can be used as a night challenge. With the support of a generous anonymous donation, landing site for the Devon Air Ambulance. We are looking local fundraising and funding provided through a grant from DAA forward to learning more about the work of the Air (from the LIBOR bank nes), the money was raised fairly uickly.

Ambulance next term and hopefully get involved with some Over and above installing the lighting at the site, willing fundraising for the charity too”. hands were also needed to clear some scrub and prepare

If you would like to nd out how you can get involved with developing your local landing site please contact our Community Landing Sites Development Officer Toby Russell on t.russell@daat.org or 07943 207673.

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helipad | www.daat.org

y t

e

oes a long way!

A ‘Little’ support g

Helipad is delighted to celebrate the amazing

fundraising efforts of our local schools and colleges and, hopefully, inspire more of our young people to raise money for Devon Air Ambulance through their imaginative fundraising events

Exeter College raises a record breaking £21,000 for us! t dent nd t ff t eter e e ve r i ed r in e e te er t e t ever r i ed r e e rity nd i r e eeded t eir t r et t een e e e eff rt it ide v riety event t in e in din t e nn e tiv r n red ydive y e en e nd t e re tr diti n e e nd ir t e ndr i in een ed y eter e e t dent e re ent tive ittee e i r ed eter e e t dent re e e ted t re re ent t eir t dent dy t et e e e tr y re re ent tive nd t rt tivitie t i n r y rin i nd ie e tive id de i ted t t r t dent ed y t e nd e e t ff ve et t nnin re rd y r i in re t n r ev n Air A n e e ieve t i re rd re in ieve ent r vide e r eviden e t e t t ndin itie nd v e y n e e et e e t dent t r e e i ye r t dent ve et t e r very i r ne t ye r t n t ey i e rt e en e

t ff nd t dent t t in i rd te

eter

e e re entin t eir

e

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Honiton Community College 24-hour Cycle Challenge from ‘John O’Groats to Land’s End’ – and back again! n r r i t r er nd ver t ff t n r e in en e t y e i e t e e iv ent t e ie r ti rn t r i e ney r ev n Air A ever n re in t eir initi virt

d i e t re ni e t e nt ti ndr i in r t er nd e e i t Bridestowe Primary School r i ed £50.78 y dre in t eir v rite er e Bicton College Students Union d te ffee nd ndy t t i ye r i t n in nd y nd r i ed £102.95 Pilton College e d n n ni r d y nd r i ed £500 Clyst Vale Community College e d n n ni r d y nd r i ed £134.54 ulmstock Primary e d e e y t in de e e nd n n ni r dre y r er d y nd r i ed £45.68 St Mary’s Catholic Primary in t r i ed £34.13 Elberton Primary e d dre er d y nd r i ed £304.97 Princetown Primary r i ed 246 r t e e ri t y ti et r

Helipad

• • • •

• • nd t ff r

nity e e it AA i t t rted t e y e en e

nd t t ey t t e er i r e i t y rdy de i i n t y e t e y t n r t etin t e entire di t n e in t nder r n r t ti n t enn it e e rin i r verin ni re ive i e in i in te ti e t tt e td ne t e t dent e tive y y ed t erin ie red t t e ie eted y t e t ff ver t e y i t r i ed rt e rity

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t dent

nit n tt et

•

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e er n e er i e t nd t t e n e nd

If you or your school/college would like to fundraise for Devon Air Ambulance, we are here to support you – take a look at our website, and follow the link to download our fundraising pack, full of ideas and supporting materials to make your event really rock! Alternatively, why not call the Fundraising Team and talk to us about your event – we would be delighted to let you know how we can support you.

See our GETTING IN TOUCH section on page 3

winter 2017 | JUNIOR CREW

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Junior Crew

It’s always great to learn about the activities of our young fundraisers, Here we meet just some of Devon’s local youngsters who have raised funds for DAA.

Ambassador Abbey A ter di t ti e in ri ry en A ey r d n ved t e nd ry e de ided e nted t d et in t e t er i dren r t i A ti n A ey invited t e e n i i A d r r e i in rt inv ve ndr i in nd en r in t er y n e et v nteer nd ndr i e t A e t er ritie A ey de ided t r i e ney r ev n Air A n e er

r nd d d een ir in e rt tt e r ni ed r e r i ed rt e A ey d en r ny t er y n er et inv ved in t

i ted i rity e nt i

A ti n t t eir i i A ey re y nd y n

r

event in nd t e d r id er r e it ry t r t t ndin e in in r nt nd t er re

Izzy raises even more money for Devon Air Ambulance! rt e rt ye r in r y rtin r r r i ed ney r ev n Air A n e y ndert en n er ndr i in tivitie in t t ti e e in e nd e n de nd in ne t i ye r e eted ten i e n red A nied y er rent nd r nd rent y ed r r t rt nd nd t en n t t nd r r nd t

r

r e re in y t r r i ed n in t r n r i t i ye r ne e nin e r i ed n in redi e r in e t e e i A y yin t n y in e r ry t i ye r y invited t t rn n t e ne ndin i t t r yin e d e nin t t ev n Air A n e nn y nd nd e y in t e vi e nti idni t e d y y y ey e ere t e y

Fantastic Fundraiser Freya – take a bow!

id y de ided t r i e ney r t e ir n e e e e ten ee t e nd in t e yin e d ne r r e n y t er i y nd riend n red er y n er t e ev n Air A n e in in rid e id e re d y de ided t r i e ney r t e ir n e nd re re y i re ed it t e eff rt nd ti e e t int t i e nder t nd e n t r i e even rey t

tee e ttend t n ri ry e it n ve ide t r i e ney r ev n Air A n e y in nd e in ir ey r ved r t t e ete t t even t e y ere e rin t e rey d in n in redi e rt e rity rey nd er r y n r e r in in n rt

t it ert in y i d y r n den e nd ee very r d t t ve een et tiv te nd in ire t er y n e e t v nteer nd r i e ney r d e y re iven t e rt nity dded A ey r it it t nd nd tre re it it i er n y very in nd y et t e e re t ritie i e ev n Air A n e y d i e t e rn re t t i A ti n nd t e r e n i i d r vi it i i r re ney r ne t ye r n t it t ee t e i d ne t n y y r ev ery ne ere t ev n Air A n e

ev n t ei

ve di ed rt n e t e ir n et e e i t ey t r t nd en t in A e er ffered rn in ni ter e i n nd ir i ted t ri t y ev n Air A n e r y id it very r d ent r rey e nn n ed t t e r y e ed y r t e ei ter etr

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helipad | www.daat.org

Devon People Real people saving real lives - what could you do to save a life?

Massive thanks as always to everyone who has put the Fun into Fundraising in recent months. Those featured in this issue have undertaken a multitude of activities including climbing, walking, skydiving, running, knitting and performing – what an amazing bunch they are!

Alan and Jake (10) Matthews completed the 5km inflatable obstacle run in July this year and raised £97.80 Nigel Holmes (on the bike) organised a retro cycle ride fun day and raised £2,011.75

Rachel Slyvia (left) ran the Bristol Half Marathon and raised over £1,500

Kingsbridge Rugby Club donated £2,084 following their very successful golf day. Patrick Robinson (right) presents a che ue to Toby Russell

Brian Smith jumps from a plane to raise £600 for DAA

winter 2017 | FUNDRAISERS

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The Bushcraft Social have raised over £4,200 in the last 2 years and will continue to support DAA in 2018!

Volunteer Tony Cannon receives a cheque for £1,000 from Rory Blair, President of Saltram Rotary

Colin Cusack and Tony Cannon raised £781 at the Elfordleigh Golf Day - Colin was airlifted Jan 2017 after falling from Leather Tor, Dartmoor Cleave Collins from Spreyton sells his award winning dahlias for DAA and has raised almost £2,000 to date

Chris Dennis completed the 3 Peaks Challenge (Snowdon, Scarfell Pike and Ben Nevis) and raised £1,300 in memory of his dad Richard Isca Hash House Harriers raised £371.43 at their Isca Roman Away Weekend

See our GETTING IN TOUCH section on page 3

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helipad | www.daat.org

Volunteer Tony Cannon receives a cheque for £2,335.55 raised by Slapton Open Gardens 10th & 11th June 2017

Gemma Houghton, who took the South Coast 100km challenge and raised £552.57!

Newton St Cyres Young Farmers’ Club annual donation - presenting a cheque for £487.05 to John Groves

Mr & Mrs Willis of Culm Vale Whist Drive & Bowls Club - DAA were their Charity of the Year 2016-2017, rasing £1,035 (+ £22.60 in their collection boxes)

Black Torrington Bicycle Club sponsored cycle, 100 miles from Plymouth to Ilfracombe in one day, £1,121.38 raised

winter 2017 | FUNDRAISERS

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Award-winning Exeter based Greenbow Running Club rst supported DAA in summer 2016 with their 52mile coast to coast challenge, this year they set themselves an ultramarathon, with their Monopoly Run which would see them run to every landmark on the Exeter Monopoly Board, from Exeter Airport to Exeter Racecourse and everywhere in between. To date the Greenbow Running Club have raised over £2,400 for DAA.

Lions Club of Plymouth £510 raised through their knit-in Dan Harrison Memorial Ride 24th September, family and friends raised £250!

Kevin Finan, President of Tiverton Rotary Club, presents a che ue on behalf of Les Rendell to Richard Lappas. In total, Les raised over £2,000 through his ‘cryptic’ quiz!

Centyfield Eventing & Dressage Academy held a ceilidh and raised £526.44

THINKING OF FUNDRAISING?

i

See our GETTING IN TOUCH section on page 3 If you are planning a fundraising activity of any kind, please do give us a call. We can offer support material such as posters, balloons, collection boxes and/or running vests and we can promote your event on social media..

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helipad | www.daat.org

Devon’s

Flying Doctors Over the years, you may have read how Devon Air Ambulance places the needs of our patients at the forefront of our thinking about how to develop our service. Our aim being to provide patients with the best chance of surviving and overcoming their injuries or illness. DAA Operations Director Nigel Hare explains how this thought process is put into practice

A

s part of our Enhanced & Critical Care (E&CC) programme we have developed some innovative approaches to enable our clinical team to deliver a much greater range of lifesaving treatments and interventions than what has traditionally been available at the ‘roadside’ or ‘bedside’ within Devon.

How we do this is a testament to Devon Air Ambulance’s ethos of building relationships within the community to achieve the common aim of helping patients and I wanted to share with you an important

the expert guidance and mentorship needed to develop the enhanced care that our service now offers patients.

It takes many years for a doctor to develop the knowledge and skills needed to deliver critical lifesaving skills in hospital. It takes even longer to transfer those skills into the more challenging pre-hospital environment that we operate in.

We therefore took the decision to recruit Consultant level doctors whose ‘day jobs’ involve either working in a hospital Emergency Department, Intensive Care

development of innovative lifesaving treatments and the recent experience of our armed force’s medical teams in dealing with people suffering from major trauma has been incorporated into the care we can now provide our patients, as although the cause of a serious injury may be different in a conflict zone, the treatment to save someone’s life relies on the same principles and interventions.

Recruiting senior doctors with this breadth of experience into our team has meant that, as well as mentoring and supporting

incorporate doctors with pre-hospital experience into our team was only possible because other organisations had previously enabled them to gain that experience. As our programme has matured, we have now introduced a role for qualified doctors who, although working autonomously within the NHS, have little or no prehospital experience. This collaborative project, with NHS hospitals within Devon, releases doctors to deliver training and education to our team, both on our airbases and when the team attend their university placements.

“ Until there is such a thing as a portable CT Scanner or x-ray machine that can be carried in a back pack, the true extent of a patient’s illness or injury is often only fully known after they have been admitted to hospital ” aspect of how we are enhancing our service, made possible by your continued support.

Devon Air Ambulance is called upon to help the most seriously ill and injured patients, so it is vital that everyone responding on our helicopters can contribute to the high level of care needed by those patients.

An integral part of our E&CC programme has therefore been to incorporate a group of specialist doctors into our team; they work alongside our paramedics and provide

Unit or Operating Theatre and who have already gained significant pre-hospital experience through working with a land ambulance service or another air ambulance.

However, we were also keen to establish links with doctors working for the Ministry of Defence, who as part of their role work both within NHS hospitals as well as the various conflict zones around the world. Throughout history the sad impact of military conflict has often led to the

the development of our paramedics advanced clinical practice, we have also been able to integrate the doctors’ own specialist clinical skills into our service when they are flying with the team on the helicopter. This includes procedures currently only licensed for doctors to perform such as delivering an emergency anaesthetic, certain emergency surgical procedures and the use of some advanced medications.

In developing our E&CC programme, we recognised that the opportunity to

In return, our team provide the education and experience those doctors need to work safely within the challenging pre-hospital environment. A true win-win situation!

Within our team, we have two doctors who undertake leadership roles within the E&CC programme. They are integral to ensuring our service not only delivers the very best care to patients but also that we review and reflect on that care as we seek to improve and enhance what we can deliver.

Dr Tim Nutbeam is our

winter 2017 | OPERATIONS

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OPERATIONS r

e Nigel Hare - Operations Director i n.hare@daat.org

Nigel is responsible for the provision of our operational service, from the initial procurement of the helicopters and their equipment right through to the care that reaches the patient. He joined Devon Air Ambulance in 1997 as an Aircrew Paramedic.

lead doctor and, as well as managing the other doctors’ day to day, he works closely with our paramedic manager Darren Goodwin and myself in exploring and evaluating the latest clinical research and evidence that might help us develop our service. Tim also leads on DAA’s behalf in collaborating with Plymouth University to deliver the Master’s Degree in Pre-Hospital Critical Care Retrieval and Transfer.

Dr Clare Bosanko is our Governance lead. Clare reviews the treatment and interventions we provide our patients and follows up with hospitals and other agencies details relating to the patient’s outcome. Our clinicians are highly skilled in ascertaining what is wrong with a patient they are treating ‘in the field’, however until there is such a thing as a

portable CT Scanner or x-ray machine that can be carried in a back pack, the true extent of a patient’s illness or injury is often only fully known after they have been admitted to hospital, which is normally after our team have already left to respond to the next incident. Understanding the patient’s actual condition and indeed, their outcome, helps us to fine-tune our diagnostic skills and help identify injury patterns which might not always be initially apparent at the scene.

With Tim’s assistance, Clare also runs our monthly Education and Clinical Governance sessions. Here we review the incidents we attended in the previous month and use that reflection and learning to develop tailored educational sessions and target the review of research that will help us

maintain our high standards of care and explore possibilities for future development.

Of course, treating patients in the pre-hospital environment is not something we do alone, we often work alongside land ambulance clinicians from South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, volunteer emergency responders as well as our colleagues in the Police and Fire & Rescue Service. We recognise the importance each plays in the patient’s chain of survival, so we invite these colleagues to attend our Education and Clinical Governance sessions, which means we can collectively review incidents we have all been involved in, learn together and, importantly, from each other, all with the aim of providing the next patient with the best chance of survival. o

Paramedic Manager Darren Goodwin

Dr Tim Nutbeam

Dr Clare Bosanko

“ This collaborative project, with NHS hospitals within Devon, releases doctors to deliver training and education to our team, both on our airbases and when the team attend their university placements. ”

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helipad | www.daat.org

Bah Humbug...

Fitz ponders some of the ‘movers and shakers’ of Devon and increases our general knowledge of local ‘celebrities’ and places in time to impress our fellow festive dinner party guests...

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n the dark days ahead lled with festive cheer, unwanted relatives, too many Bond lms and ‘out of date’ dates, here are a few Devon facts which I hope will get you through the last days of 2017 and into the bright and sparkling

Dorset skyline and sheep but Thomas Hardy, father of the South Australian wine industry. Now one of the biggest names in wine, Hardy was born in Gittisham. He married a Joanna Holbrook and decided to head for O in

entire region, an area of 6500 s uare kilometres.

They can wander in to the hub and enjoy one hotel, an anti ue agricultural machinery museum and a public library. There is a 14hole golf course, not 18, but 14! I assume it is too hot to

arno, was an English theatre impresario of the British music hall. He was born in Waterbeer Street, Exeter. He more or less invented the custard-piein-the-face gag. In the early

“ Here are a few Devon facts which I hope will get you through the last days of 2017 and into the bright and sparkling new year ” new year. I hope they will stimulate discussion and if wrong, generate angry phone calls to my show on BBC Radio Devon.

Firstly, Thomas Hardy was born in Devon.

No not the bloke who used to drone on about the

1850. After various jobs, he purchased 46 acres and planted fruit trees and Shira vines. He made his rst wine in 1857 and exported two hogsheads to England in 1859, one of the rst exports of wine from South Australia.

Today, after mergers and expansion, The Hardy Wine Company is huge, exporting to over 60 countries around the world, managing 3200 hectares of vineyards in Australia and obtaining grapes from over 1000 independent growers.

Not uite so successful is Ilfracombe, a small town in the Longreach Region in Central West ueensland.

Ilfracombe calls itself The Hub of the West with a population of just 348 people, not the town, the

BACKCHAT r

e David FitzGerald - BBC Broadcaster and DAAT Patron

play a full 18 or indeed build the last 4 holes! However, there are sheep, enough to keep author Thomas Hardy happy. There are thousands and thousands and thousands. I once spoke to a tourist official from the area who said that several of the local sheep farms are bigger than our town of Ilfracombe and within the state there are ranches bigger than Devon!

Moving from O , here are some facts to blast around the dinner table. The mother of Tommy Cooper, Catherine Wright, came from Crediton. To escape from the heavily polluted air of Caerphilly, his father moved the family to Exeter, when Cooper was three. Frederick John Westcott, best known by his stage name Fred

days he employed two struggling artists, Charles Spencer Chaplin and his understudy, Arthur Jefferson, who later adopted the name of Stan Laurel.

After making his fortune in America, Fred arno returned to London and visited Tagg’s Island on the Thames, which he bought in 1912. He demolished the existing hotel and hired architect Frank Matcham – you will have read about him on page 29! - to build The arsino, a wonderful theatre.

Sadly, the rise in lms sent arno’s island theatre bankrupt with the work of Chaplin and Laurel on the silver screen contributing to its demise. And as for local boy, Frank Matcham – he made a fortune! o

Fitz

David rst began broadcasting on commercial radio in the early 1980s, before moving to television. As well as a busy broadcasting career David still nds time for writing as well as enjoying a regular round of golf.

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