20 Years Together - EAAA

20 years together East Anglian Air Ambulance

This Autumn EAAA has marked its 20th anniversary. After a short trial in 1996, the charity was officially established in September 2000, kicking off with a fundraising appeal with jockey Frankie Dettori to fund the first helicopter. By early 2001, the charity had enough funds to start flying one day a week out of Norwich on a shared police helicopter, with one paramedic. This was the start of the important lifeline for many local people, which we know today by its large yellow helicopters and yellow rapid response vehicles, which operate across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk and Nofolk, 365 days a year out of Norwich and Cambridge. Initially it was AA funding which meant EAAA could start flying seven days a week, which is why its helicopters have always been yellow! Today, every EAAA mission takes the A and E department as well as a highly-skilled doctor and critical care paramedic to the people in the most lifethreatening or life-changing situations, to give those patients the best possible chance of survival. In the early days, the service wasn’t much more than a flying road ambulance, but now the teams provide the very best critical care at the roadside or bedside and quickly get that patient to the most appropriate hospital for their needs. Over the last 20 years, the charity has flown almost 30,000 missions and helped almost 20,000 patients,

all thanks to the generosity of local people. At a time of so much uncertainty, the charity, which needs to raise £13 million a year to develop and deliver its service, and is aiming to start flying 24/7 for the first time next year, is deeply grateful for the public support which has enable it to pass this milestone. CEO Patrick Peal said: “EAAA is a unique life-line for anyone in East Anglia; we are incredibly proud to be here today, having kept flying throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, and to see such a high need for our crews over the last few months. We know we’re providing an essential service for local people and we’re so, so thankful for all the support we have received over the last 20 years. We really couldn’t be here without the community that funds our life-saving work. A huge heart-felt thank you from all of us to everyone who has supported us over the years.” To thank the community which keeps it flying and saving lives, EAAA has released a short film which explores some of the charity’s key achievements and explains how the service has grown so quickly while showcasing some of the people it has helped. To watch the film, go to www.eaaa.org.uk/20years

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