Essex & Herts Air Ambulance gets keys for new airbase
The airbase will be fully operational by June this year
Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) has taken the keys to its brand-new airbase at North Weald Airfield.
Construction completed on time a year after it began in February 2020 despite the challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
EHAAT CEO Jane Gurney and Cliff Gale, the charity's Operations Director, took possession of the building in a socially distanced handover from Mark Hart, Joint Divisional Managing Director of Barnes Construction.
The handover was carried out via a video link to comply with the current lockdown restrictions on non-essential travel.
Jane Gurney said: "The handing over of this building today by Barnes Construction marks yet another milestone in what is a very important project for the Charity. The opportunity to design and build our own Airbase has allowed us to include elements such as dedicated areas for training which will benefit not only our crews but also the local pre-hospital care community along with an interactive visitor centre for our supporters, who we look forward to welcoming to this incredible new building when such visits become possible again.
"On behalf of the Trustees and the Executive Team I would like to thank Barnes Construction, associated partners and suppliers for all their hard work and support in seeing this project through to completion in such a professional manner especially with the added pressures the pandemic presented.
"I would also like to thank our amazing fundraisers and donors for helping us secure the future operation of the charity at North Weald for many years to come by supporting us and making this possible."
The new base will be able to house one of the charity's helicopters, two of it's rapid response vehicles, and accommodate areas for training, mentoring, patient liaison and fundraising.
Two helicopters will be able to be stored in the new hangar where needed for maintenance purposes, and underground heating will prevent snow and ice.
It also includes charging points for electric cars, bicycle parking and solar panels on the roof, with excess energy to be supplied to the National Grid.
Mark Hart added: "We are proud to have played a key part in the construction of this new airbase, which is a true community-based project that will help everyone.
"The project has been a collaborative team effort and I’m very grateful to Castons, Superstructures and Hurley Porte and Duell in particular, for helping us to get the scheme delivered on time, and under the most extreme and challenging circumstances due to Covid-19."