The East Anglian Air Ambulance operates two helicopters to serve the counties of Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.  The charity has grown considerably since its early days in 2001 when one helicopter was in use just one day a week. 

Now, the organisation runs a 365 day a year service.  One aircraft, codenamed Anglia One, serves Norfolk and Suffolk and the other, Anglia Two, operates in Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.  It is one of the busiest air ambulance services in the country flying an average of 4 missions per day.

Here in East Anglia we need an air ambulance more than ever. The rural areas can sometimes be inaccessible for road ambulances and distance by road to hospital can be critical, particularly if a patient needs specialist care that might only be available at one hospital in the region.  Our roads are getting increasingly congested, leading to ever more road traffic accidents - which already make up more than 50% of the air ambulances’ work.

Accidents on beaches, those involving horse riders and even water-based incidents can all be in a day’s work for the clinicians aboard the helicopter – usually a highly skilled paramedic and a volunteer doctor.  One of the flying
doctors, Dr Pam Chrispin, a consultant anaesthetist specialising in Intensive Care, explained how incidents on water are not always straightforward:  “We were called to assist a lady who’d hurt her head in a fall on her boat.  Once we’d landed and treated her at the scene, we conveyed her by boat to a waiting land ambulance while fending off enquiring cows!”
 
The helicopters are Eurocopter BK 117s which have a cruise speed of 130 knots or 150mph.  They are equipped with a special stretcher, defibrillator/multi monitor for checking blood pressure and oxygen in the blood, twelve lead ECG and respiratory ventilator. The equipment is extensive and running costs are high. Yet the air ambulance receives no government or national lottery funding and is totally dependent on the generous sponsorship and fund-raising from the public to remain operational.

It costs £3.6million a year to operate the service.  One of the ways in which people can help is to join the charity’s own lottery.  For £1 a week, players have a chance of winning a jackpot prize of £1,000 or one of many smaller prizes. There is also an ‘accumulator’ prize which increases by £500 a week until it is won.   Alternatively, the lottery has a scratchcard game which can be played for £1 with a top prize of £1,000.

The charity is always keen to hear from people who would like to help, either as a volunteer at the many events attended across the region or by organising a fund-raising event.  Sponsored walks, coffee mornings, or even selling unwanted items of ‘boat jumble’ can all help make a difference.  To find out more please visit www.eaaa.org.uk or telephone 08450 669 999.

How to make a Donation

Donation form
Credit Card payment form
Debit or Credit Card - Online Donation

 

By signing the Gift Aid Declaration form, you can increase the value of your donation to the East Anglian Air Ambulance at no cost to you. Please complete for both regular and one-off donations.

By post
Please send a cheque made payable to:
East Anglian Air Ambulance
Hangar D
Gambling Close
Norwich Airport
Norwich
NR6 6EG