Midlands Air Ambulance Charities Celebrate Life Saving Partnership

Representatives of the two air ambulance charities serving the Midlands and Welsh borders region have marked almost twenty years of fund raising and life saving.

Midlands Air Ambulance Charity (MAA), which funds and operates three helicopters across the Midlands and Welsh border region, and County Air Ambulance Trust (CAAT), which provides financial support to air ambulance operators, are now in the nineteenth year of a partnership that has raised more than £3 million for MAA and helped save over 35,000 lives.

To mark the occasion, Hugh Meynell MBE, Chairman of Trustees of the County Air Ambulance Trust presented a cheque for £150,000 to Sir Graham Meldrum, Chairman of Trustees for Midlands Air Ambulance.

This represents the second phase of a total £300,000 donation from CAAT in 2010 that will help to fund operational costs and infrastructure improvements at the three MAA air bases serving the region.

Joining Hugh Meynell MBE and Sir Graham Meldrum at the presentation were Hanna Sebright, Charity Director of Midlands Air Ambulance, Tony Bateson, Grants Officer and Robert Bertram, Charity Director of County Air Ambulance Trust.

Sir Graham Meldrum said: "I must thank Hugh Meynell and his team for their generous support down the years. The grant giving support we receive from Country Air Ambulance Trust is an important contribution to the operational costs of the service we provide."

Hugh Meynell MBE said: "The Trust is extremely proud to help fund the air ambulance crew costs and bases, and through our HELP Appeal we are also providing much needed helipad facilities at a number of A & E hospitals in the region.

"Despite the unquestionable life-saving benefits of their work, the air ambulance operators receive no government funding whatsoever, and so long as that remains the case we will continue to work hard to make sure they have all the support they need."