Our wider impact
Our first and foremost pledge is to prevent loss of life and
alleviate sickness on a daily basis, but we're also extremely
passionate and dedicated to creating a wider impact in
society. We're committed to giving our time and facilities,
whenever possible, to benefit our communities.
We encourage and expect staff to share their knowledge and
expertise as widely as possible. We're proud to have memebers
of our team take their place on councils, NHS governing bodies,
advisory groups and a wide range of community groups, all on a
voluntary basis.
Volunteering
We have over 300 volunteers who not only bring in vital funds,
but also benefit from training and work experience.
Schools and Colleges
We support fellow charity Career Academies UK by offering
structured and focussed work placements, as well as offering
six week paid summer internships to students at our Head Office
with an opportunity to undertake special projects and learn about
everything we do; from corporate fundraising to operational
briefings at our airport bases.
Carbon footprint
Our services require the extensive use of powerful helicopters
but we preserve a woodland around our HQ to reduce our carbon
footprint. We also have recycling facilities and policies for staff
at all our offices and bases, as well as encouraging our
employers to car-share to keep individual's carbon footprints to a
minimum and limiting petrol costs in this tough economical
climate.
Naturally our Charity Shops do their bit too - helping and
encouraging communities to recycle and reuse everything from
books to furniture.
Care Quality Commission
We don't base our business models on anecdotes - we have
evidence-based best clinical practice at the core of our governance
system. Indeed, we are one of the first and only, air ambulances to
be registered with the Care Quality Commission, adhering to their
strict guidelines and practices.
Lobbying
We actively campaign for the Department of Health to make sure
that every regional air ambulance maintains the highest standards.
HEMS patients must be offered the best possible care, wherever they
live. We're working hard to introduce a national
clinical and operational audit framework to ensure a
consistency of standards across the country.
We do not campaign for Government funding for air ambulances. We
have evolved a successful professional fundraising model that
matches our ambitious growth targets year on year.
The Big Society
We are a real example of a successful Big Society initiative.
Our independence allows us to best innovate and challenge standards
across the whole sector. We engage with decision makers at the
highest level at Westminster and are recognised by Government as a
role model for public sector partnerships delivering the highest
possible level of service.