MAAC Looks Back Over Its 25th Anniversary Year

Last year marked the ‘Air25’ 25th anniversary of the vitally important emergency pre-hospital service provided by Midlands Air Ambulance Charity and became the organisation’s most publicly supported year to date.

Throughout 2016, supported by corporate partner, Midland Expressway, operators of the M6 toll, the charity held 16 commemorative events, including a birthday garden party at Hagley Hall in Worcestershire with HRH The Countess of Wessex in attendance, and a Family Run Day hosted at Drayton Manor Theme Park in Tamworth. 

In total over 42,000 people attended the charity’s events, generating £250,000 which will help fund 100 air ambulance missions across the six counties covered by the charity.

In addition to the events, a public appeal for former aircrew, patients and volunteers proved to be a great success. Several previous members of the team who worked on the original ‘Air5’ air ambulance got in touch to recount their historic stories, and one former flight paramedic was reunited with a gentleman she airlifted in the charity’s inaugural year.

The public’s online support of the charity also went through the roof, with thousands of likes and retweets regarding anniversary activity, with the then prime minister, David Cameron showing his appreciation of the service which was launched back in May 1991.  

Hanna Sebright, chief executive for Midlands Air Ambulance Charity, states: “Air25 was an extremely significant year for our organisation, enabling us to highlight 25 years of air ambulance operations across the Midlands and the impact the charity has made on so many lives. We can’t thank the public enough for their generous on-going support, and to our Air25 corporate partner, Midland Expressway for their unfaltering commitment which has enabled us to create such a memorable year.”

James Hodson, director of motorway operations and facilities at Midland Expressway Limited (MEL), added: “Our support for the vital work of Midlands Air Ambulance Charity goes back over a decade now and we are proud to have raised over £250,000 in that time. Air25 year was a great success but also a timely reminder of the on-going fundraising the charity needs every year. During that time, we have built friendships with many of the remarkable people whose daily lives are devoted to saving others. We look forward to continuing our relationship with them.”

During Air25, Midlands Air Ambulance Charity tended to over 2,000 people in their greatest hour of need and each mission costs the charity £2,500