East Anglian Air Ambulance volunteers donate 12,500 hours in under a year
It represents £168,000 and equates to the cost of almost 40 life-saving efforts
East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA) has announced that volunteers have collectively donated 12,500 hours of their time between July 2024 and May 2025.
The figure was released ahead of Volunteers’ Week, which takes place from 2 to 8 June.
According to EAAA, the donated time is valued at over £168,000 and equates to the cost of almost 40 life-saving taskings.
The charity provides 24/7 critical care across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.
Volunteers contribute in a range of roles including supporting fundraising events, delivering CPR training, and giving talks in the community.
Sarah Hurren, Head of Volunteering at EAAA, said: "Volunteering is for everyone, and at EAAA we make it accessible to as many people as possible.
"It’s a wonderful achievement that, collectively, volunteers have given 12,500 hours of their time to EAAA since July 2024, and we are truly thankful to each and every person who donates their time and skills to the charity."
Volunteers’ Week is a UK-wide campaign that takes place annually in June to recognise and celebrate the contributions of volunteers.
Data from volunteersweek.org indicates that 25 million people across the UK volunteered informally at least once in the past year.
Among those volunteering with the charity is Cheryl Lewis who has supported EAAA for four years.
She became involved after a conversation with another volunteer and now regularly takes part in events and talks.
She said: "This flexibility is paramount. I’m good at chatting with people and I’m at my happiest when I’m meeting others, supporting EAAA events and giving talks.
"It’s so rewarding and enjoyable. It’s enriched my life. When you volunteer with EAAA, you’re a person not a number. Everything you do, you are thanked for."
Ms Hurren said the organisation aims to offer a range of opportunities to suit different levels of availability.
"The success of volunteering is that it works two ways. You can commit as little or as much as you wish, but we want you to feel that you’ve made a difference – because you are the difference," she said.
EAAA offers regular, occasional and one-off volunteering roles, as well as new micro-volunteering tasks that require no ongoing commitment.