Air Ambulance team fundraising in Derry

The charity has been shortlisted for an award from the Tesco Centenary Fund, an initiative set up by the retailer to support local organisations in Northern Ireland in honour of its 100 years in business.

In stores across the North until the end of December, Tesco customers will be provided with a ‘blue token’ at check-out which they can give to one of three causes, including Air Ambulance NI, at each store’s donation station.

The amount of tokens each organisation receives will determine their monetary award of either £20k, £30k or £50k.

Air Ambulance NI plans to use the funds raised to purchase new, state-of-the-art manikins for the charity, which will enhance training capabilities for the service’s medical team.

Glenn O’Rorke, HEMS Operational Lead, said: “Training is an integral part of our service and it’s something our team does every day. Having the latest, state-of-the-art equipment helps us prepare for every possible eventuality, such as road traffic collisions, agricultural incidents, and sporting and industrial accidents in all weather conditions.

“We practice in a variety of conditions, such as in darkness and in harsh weather, so are hoping to be able to purchase new, ‘life-like’ manikins we can practice with to make our training scenarios as close to real-life trauma emergencies as possible.”

Kerry Anderson, Head of Fundraising for Air Ambulance NI, said, “We are delighted to be one of the charities chosen for this fantastic initiative from Tesco to support local organisations like Air Ambulance NI. Public donations are critical to saving lives and any one of us could need the services of the air ambulance.

“The Tesco initiative means it’s easier than ever to raise funds for Air Ambulance NI. Whether you need bread and milk or the weekly shop, your blue chip vote for Air Ambulance NI will really make a difference.”

For more information visit Air Ambulance NI’s Facebook page, visit www.airambulanceni.org or call 028 9262 2677.