Looking forwards with Jonathan Jenkins

LOOKING FORWARDS

With Jonathan Jenkins, CEO

We began the financial year in a strong position, thanks to all the hard work that went into making our 30th Anniversary year such a success. We have strong reserves and can continue to invest in fundraising opportunities, accelerating our plans to meet our objectives across the clinical and charity teams.

Looking ahead today, it is inevitable that the impact COVID-19 will have on the charity sector will also be felt by our organisation. In the 30-year history of London’s Air Ambulance Charity, we have of course never encountered a pandemic. Our clinical teams supported the frontline fight against COVID-19, whilst maintaining a 24/7 trauma service for London and our charity team have rallied to keep the service operating against a backdrop of fundraising restrictions we have never seen before. We’ve had to stop many of our usual fundraising activities due to the pandemic. This has lost the charity an estimated £5million over the next two to three years and the impact of that will be felt for some time to come.

Whilst COVID-19 brings with it a degree of uncertainty, we have strength in our resources and we are as ambitious as ever. Our five-year strategy, Saving More Lives, developed in 2018, still stands the test of time today. We are still planning to replace our helicopter fleet in 2025, as well as our cars every three years, to continue providing London with a world-class, 24/7 service.

We are confident but cannot be complacent. Our vision is unwavering; to end preventable deaths in London from serious injury. Our values: compassionate, courageous and pioneering, continue to drive us.

The next year will see numerous investments in our service, including progressing the redevelopment of our helipad and funding for research and service expansion. To fund these developments, we needed to double income over five years, to connect with the people of London, and to invest in our people. This will ensure not only the long-term stability of the charity, but that we excel at our delivery of rapid response and cutting-edge care, ready to meet the needs of those we serve.

Our fundraising activity is also expanding. We have invested in team expertise and we are making great progress against refining our supporter journey, helping to engage our much-valued supporters in the best way

for them. The appointment of The Duke of Cambridge as our Royal Patron for the next three years will undoubtedly boost awareness of the charity and his support for the crew is heartfelt.

I would like to thank all our corporate partners, whose time, energy and enthusiasm enables us to raise valuable funds for the charity, whilst also maintaining fantastic networks for future support.

I wish to thank our wonderful volunteers – their tireless dedication to the charity and our cause continues to inspire me.

Finally – thank you to our supporters for the generous part that they have played in enabling our service to keep on saving lives.

If the past year has taught us anything, it is that nothing can be certain. Looking to the future – we know that with our supporters behind us, anything is possible.