Praise for Hampshire Air Ambulance
2020 has seen the charity's fundraising efforts marred by Covid-19
Last updated 29th Dec 2020
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance (HIOWAA) has witnessed a £600,000 drop in its annual fundraising, believed to be a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic
The charity has used the run up to the festive season, and the current Christmas and New Year holidays, to try and generate and recover the missing income.
In the meantime its crews have remained on duty, as usual, throughout.
They've also been praised for their "incredible dedication" through what's proved to be a very, very tough year.
Their Chief Executive, Alex Lochrane, spoke to Greatest Hits Radio Salisbury:
"They have not missed a beat. It has been incredibly tough for them, they've gone through the heat of the summer in PPE, and they're now into the depths of winter and they are still in Personal Protective Equipment."
A 'WONDERFULLY INSPIRING' TEAM
The Air Ambulance Critical Care Team is on call 24/7 and 365 days a year, to deal with road traffic collisions, sporting accidents, and all sorts of incidents.
CEO Alex Lochrane has total admiration for their work and they're supporting crews as much as they can:
"They are tired, they are like any staff in the NHS. They are constantly facing this storm but they are facing it with a smile, and they've always got a joke, and they are a wonderfully inspiring bunch of people."
Since July 2007 HIOWAA has been flying emergency missions, and saving lives, across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. It receives no money from the government and funded entirely through donations.
It costs approximately £15,000 a day to keep the air ambulance flying.