Wiltshire Air Ambulance is one of the beneficiaries of Deepest Wiltshire. Earlier this year, we presented a cheque for £5,000 to the charity at its HQ near Semington, and we will be back at the base on Monday 4th September for a talk as part of this year’s Air Ambulance Week.
The cheque was presented to Dan Tucker, a critical care paramedic with the air crew, and Kat Bowhay, a member of the community fund-raising team (both pictured here).
In 2022, the Wiltshire Air Ambulance attended a total of 1,061 missions – 670 were dealt with by the helicopter and 391 by the vehicle. The missions involved 351 cardiac emergencies, 174 medical conditions (including collapses and strokes), 174 road traffic collisions, 139 with children and 51 sporting incidents. There were 329 night missions.
Dan Tucker joined Wiltshire Air Ambulance in 2015 after starting his ambulance career as a care assistant in 2002 with the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service. He undertook his paramedic training shortly after joining Bath Ambulance Station in 2005 and qualified as a paramedic mentor during his time there.
Wiltshire Air Ambulance Charitable Trust is a registered charity providing an essential Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) in Wiltshire, Bath and surrounding areas.
We began operating in 1990 and the helicopter and crew have saved countless lives. The charity shared a helicopter with Wiltshire Police for 24 years, but began operating as a stand-alone air ambulance from 2015 using a Bell 429 helicopter.
It costs £4 million a year to keep the lifesaving service operational, which equates to around £11,000 per day.
The charity receives no regular direct funding from the Government or National Lottery grants, so relies on the generous donations from the public and local businesses to raise the vital funds needed.
• The Air Ambulance Week talk is at 2 for 2.30pm, on Monday 4th September, at Wiltshire Air Ambulance HQ, Outmarsh, Semington, Wiltshire, BA14 6JX