<![CDATA[Pressat Main Newswire]]> https://pressat.co.uk/rss/ <![CDATA[Pressat Main Newswire]]> https://pressat.co.uk/media/site/logo.png https://pressat.co.uk/rss/ en-gb Copyright: (C) Pressat Pressat <![CDATA[ Air ambulance charity launches new winter raffle to save lives ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/air-ambulance-charity-launches-new-winter-raffle-to-save-lives-02301211b122d22d0417694188cce3db/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/air-ambulance-charity-launches-new-winter-raffle-to-save-lives-02301211b122d22d0417694188cce3db/ Thursday 14 December, 2023

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) is inviting as many people as possible to take part in its new winter raffle. Tickets cost £1 each and participants will be in with a chance of winning £2,500 or one of twenty other prizes. Each ticket purchased will help keep your air ambulance flying.


If you’d like to escape for a night at The Pig near Bath, try gliding, or tear around Silverstone in a Porsche 911, visit GWAAC’s website for details about how to enter: https://bit.ly/gwaacraffle. The full list of prizes up for grabs is:


£2,500Overnight stay for two at The Pig near BathPorsche driving experience at SilverstoneSilver gliding experience with Cotswold Gliding ClubDyson vacuum cleanerWeber BBQGift hamper from Cologne and CottonTwo tickets to Bath RacecourseRoastery tour and tasting session for two at Wogan CoffeeSpice blending course for up to 10 people with Clifton Chilli ClubTour for two at Gloucester BreweryGolf simulator session for two people at Saltford Golf ClubRound of golf for two at Gloucester Golf ClubTwo weekend camping tickets to Rock n Ribs festival 2024Limited edition Andy Council printOne of three Presca cycle jerseys with GWAAC designOne of three hampers of GWAAC goodies

Winter raffle hits retail stores


Tickets can also be purchased from GWAAC’s charity shops, making it easy for shoppers to participate and contribute to the charity’s crucial mission of saving lives across its community. The charity needs to raise over £4 million each year to remain operational.


GWAAC is inviting the people of Bristol, Gloucestershire and surrounding areas to visit their local GWAAC charity shop, grab their tickets and some Christmas gift bargains, and help its crew make a difference this winter season.


Raffle tickets purchased will help people like Stuart. Stuart suffered severe injuries following an accident on his farm at Christmas time, but he wasn’t alone in needing GWAAC’s help that day.


Stuart got to thank the crew who helped him when he visited the airbase


This winter, around five people will need GWAAC’s help every day – from accidents on the road to medical emergencies at home, the charity’s Critical Care Team will be called to the most severe 999 calls in the community. Each mission costs around £2,000 and with no day-to-day government funding, the lifesaving service would simply not be there without support from people like you.


In 2022, GWAAC was called to help 1,808 people in urgent need across its region of Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, and parts of Wiltshire


Tim Ross-Smith, GWAAC’s Operations Officer said: “2023 is looking to be our busiest year ever, and with the demanding winter months ahead, we’re preparing for a challenging start to 2024! Part of my job is making sure the crew have everything they need – from fuel in the helicopter and cars to lifesaving kit and equipment on board, as well as looking after their wellbeing. These essential resources all cost money. I’m calling on your support because a raffle ticket purchased by you today can save lives this winter.”


GWAAC’s winter raffle draw will take place on Friday 19 January 2024 and the 21 lucky winners will be contacted by post following the draw.


To be in with a chance of winning, players must be 18 years old or over. The draw closes for entries online on 17 January 2024, and if you’re sending your ticket stubs back in the post or purchasing them at a GWAAC shop, the closing date is Friday 12 January. For full terms and conditions visit https://bit.ly/gwaacraffle


Good luck everyone and thank you from GWAAC.




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https://greatwesternairambulance.com/ 14 Dec 2023 15:00:02 GMT Charities & non-profits Christmas Health Medical & Pharmaceutical
<![CDATA[ New kit bags help with patient care in air ambulance’s joint busiest week ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/new-kit-bags-help-with-patient-care-in-air-ambulances-joint-busiest-week-a8f29bdd1bacb9fb808d4605dcc52e70/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/new-kit-bags-help-with-patient-care-in-air-ambulances-joint-busiest-week-a8f29bdd1bacb9fb808d4605dcc52e70/ Thursday 15 June, 2023

While many people have been enjoying the pleasant weather, the crew from Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) has been incredibly busy. They experienced their joint busiest week on record with 52 call-outs, at the end of May 2023.


The crew responded to around half of these in the helicopter and half in a critical care car; both vehicles fully stocked with specialist kit packed into GWAAC’s new bespoke kit bags, which were funded by the County Air Ambulance HELP Appeal — the only charity in the country dedicated to funding NHS hospital helipads.


Advanced Clinical Practitioner in Critical Care, Vicki Brown, helped spearhead the new kit bags project. Vicki said, “The new bags are speeding up processes, especially setting up kit for pre-hospital emergency anaesthesia (PHEA); they are helping to improve the care we provide to people in our communities in urgent need of our help.”


The project took two years to complete and included developing the kit bag system (GWAAC’s third generation of kit bags), finding funding, and getting the bags into mainstream use by the entire crew.


The second-generation kit bags had been in service since 2014 and had evolved rather than been designed for the crew’s needs and they were becoming inefficient. With speed of care and patient safety at the forefront of everybody’s minds, it was decided that they needed replacing.


The new bespoke kit bag system contains a series of pouches with everything required for a task in one place. This modular approach makes it easy to use and saves time both on scene and during replenishment, ultimately improving the way GWAAC cares for its patients.


Thank you to the HELP Appeal


GWAAC is hugely grateful to the County Air Ambulance HELP Appeal — which previously funded GWAAC’s blood-warming machines enabling the crew to perform blood transfusions at the scene of an incident — for providing the majority of the funding (£20,000 out of £25,000 that was needed for the manufacture of the new bags).


The crew needed five sets of bags, one for each of the three critical care cars, one for the helicopter, and one for training purposes. This equates to 38 different bags in total and over 160 pouches. To ensure the bags met the needs of the crew and would last for years to come, they had to be tailor-made as well as being resilient, waterproof, high viz and adaptable.


“We are pleased to have been able to fund these new kit bags for the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity crew. The HELP Appeal is focused on saving lives, and the innovative design of these new bags will help GWAAC’s crew deliver the best care to critically ill patients."


Robert Bertram, Chief Executive, HELP Appeal


It’s a combination of bespoke kit bags, specialist equipment and knowing how to use it, that saves lives


GWAAC’s patients need hospital-level care at the scene of an incident. But until the call comes in, the specialist crew doesn’t know what that treatment will be or where they will need to do it. One thing they do know is they need to be prepared for anything.


The new kit bags help them do this, as do the hours of training they put in every day practicing the vast range of lifesaving skills and procedures they might need to perform. ​


Over the bank holiday period (27, 28 and 29 May) GWAAC’s crew rushed to help 27 people in need of emergency pre-hospital care, equating to an average of nine people a day over the three-day period. The daily average for the charity is around five people a day. Sunday was GWAAC’s joint busiest day on record with 13 call-outs.


Learn how you can support Great Western Air Ambulance charity here.


ENDS


Notes for editors


GWAAC provides the critical care and air ambulance service for 2.1 million people across Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset, and parts of Wiltshire.The GWAAC Critical Care Team consists of highly trained and experienced Critical Care Doctors, Advanced Practitioners and Specialist Paramedics in Critical Care, who bring the skill and expertise of a hospital emergency department to the patient.In 2022 GWAAC was called to help 1,808 people in urgent need. The Critical Care Team is needed by an average of five patients a day, and rushes to treat them by helicopter or critical care car. On average each mission costs around £2,000 to attend.The charity needs to raise over £4 million a year in order to remain operational yet receives no day-to-day funding from the Government or National Lottery.

About the HELP Appeal


County Air Ambulance Trust is a registered Charity in England and Wales (1057063) and in Scotland (SCO45963).


Its HELP Appeal campaign aims to significantly increase the number of onsite hospital helipads at major trauma centres and A&E hospitals through its grant scheme which offers non-repayable grants to hospitals to help fund new helipads or upgrade existing helipads.


It has funded lifesaving helipads at Bristol Royal Infirmary, Southmead Hospital Bristol and Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.


It has funded 45 hospital helipads in total which have seen over 24,000 landings.


The HELP Appeal relies solely on charitable donations and does not receive any government funding or money from the National Lottery.


You can follow the HELP Appeal on Twitter or Instagram: @helipadHELP or on Facebook or Linkedin. You can also visit www.helpappeal.org.uk for further information.

For further information, contact:


Claire Harris | PR and Communications Coordinator


0303 4444 999 | 07484 906493


Claire.harris@gwaac.com


www.greatwesternairambulance.com




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https://greatwesternairambulance.com/ 15 Jun 2023 14:39:52 GMT Charities & non-profits Health Medical & Pharmaceutical
<![CDATA[ Great Western Air Ambulance attend major incident in Avonmouth, Bristol ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/great-western-air-ambulance-attend-major-incident-in-avonmouth-bristol-3ddabf2cf811c7f9321bf4b996a58bda/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/great-western-air-ambulance-attend-major-incident-in-avonmouth-bristol-3ddabf2cf811c7f9321bf4b996a58bda/ Thursday 3 December, 2020

A crew of expert clinicians from Great Western Air Ambulance Charity responded to the major incident in Avonmouth earlier today. Our Lead Doctor, Ed Valentine, and a Specialist Paramedic in Critical Care were dispatched to the scene at 11:20am, responding by critical care car.


Dr Valentine led the air ambulance response on scene, assessing multiple casualties. As a critical care response team, our crew are often called to serious incidents and traumatic injuries and they are all highly trained in pre-hospital emergency medicine to ensure that those in need are given the best possible chance of a positive outcome. Sadly, they were unable to do such today, despite their best efforts alongside our emergency service colleagues.


Our thoughts and best wishes go to all those involved and affected by today’s tragic incident, and thanks to all of our fellow emergency service colleagues who pulled together to do all that was possible.


Anna Perry, CEO, said ‘We are so grateful to the communities in our region for supporting GWAAC. It is their support that enables our crew to train and prepare for incidents like these, and to be ready to respond when needed. This gives the people who live and work in our region the best possible chance when something unthinkable like this happens’.


We continue to be right here and ready to respond to those in urgent need across the region. As a charity, GWAAC receives no day-to-day funding from the Government or NHS, and our specialist service is funded by the generosity of local people and businesses in the communities we serve, allowing us to be there as we were today.




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https://greatwesternairambulance.com/ 03 Dec 2020 20:42:15 GMT Charities & non-profits Construction & Property Environment & Nature Health Medical & Pharmaceutical Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ Great Western Air Ambulance Charity to receive one-off Government funding in response to COVID-19 ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/great-western-air-ambulance-charity-to-receive-one-off-government-funding-in-response-to-covid-19-430b4d7907b315a22fe75e8cf7a17b25/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/great-western-air-ambulance-charity-to-receive-one-off-government-funding-in-response-to-covid-19-430b4d7907b315a22fe75e8cf7a17b25/ Friday 22 May, 2020

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) welcome today’s announcement from the Department of Health and Social Care that Air Ambulances UK are set to receive £6 million of funding to be distributed amongst the UK’s 22 air ambulance charities, in response to COVID-19.


It is yet to be confirmed how much GWAAC and each of the air ambulances will receive, but the funding comes as part of £22 million which is being awarded to health and care charities to allow them to continue providing vital support to their communities during the pandemic.


Despite the lockdown, GWAAC’s Specialist Paramedics and Critical Care Doctors have continued to work on the frontline, stepping up and adapting their lifesaving service to support their NHS colleagues in the fight against COVID-19.


The crew have been attending to COVID-19 patients as part of their normal day-to-day service, adapting their work to wear full Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) needed to remain safe. The charity is also providing Specialist Paramedics to work on a 24/7 Trauma Advice Line to support land crews and ease the strain on the NHS, and previously provided Specialist Paramedics and ventilators to assist with inter-hospital transfers for critically ill COVID-19 patients.


Like all air ambulance charities across the UK, GWAAC are not funded by the NHS, and receive no day-to-day funding from the Government, relying on vital charitable donations to raise the £4 million a year needed to remain operational.


Anna Perry, CEO of GWAAC, says: “Although it is unlikely that the money we receive from this pot of funding will cover the shortfall we are expecting in income this year, it will make a huge difference to us being able to continue providing our lifesaving service to those in need, allowing us to be more resilient in these uncertain times. We look forward to receiving further details over how the funding will be allocated.”


Due to COVID-19, many fundraising events and campaigns have had to be cancelled or postponed, having a significant impact on income for charities across the UK. This announcement comes at a time when funding is needed more than ever to ensure that Great Western Air Ambulance Charity, who have seen their number of call-outs start to rise again, can continue providing their vital services.


Anna continued: “We are eternally grateful to have such a generous and supportive community that recognise the invaluable service our crew are continuing to provide on the frontline of this pandemic. We are proud to be supporting our NHS colleagues in the fight against this virus, and we couldn’t do this without them.”


GWAAC provides the critical care and air ambulance service to 2.1 million people across Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset, Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire. Their crew bring the skills and equipment of a hospital to the scene of the most critically ill or injured across the region, providing lifesaving treatment where it’s needed the most.


ENDS




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https://greatwesternairambulance.com/ 22 May 2020 15:56:52 GMT Charities & non-profits Coronavirus (COVID-19) Government Health
<![CDATA[ Royal Opening for Great Western Air Ambulance Charity's new base ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/royal-opening-for-great-western-air-ambulance-charitys-new-base-137da0cc18f62315746b6271af401b5d/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/royal-opening-for-great-western-air-ambulance-charitys-new-base-137da0cc18f62315746b6271af401b5d/ Wednesday 25 September, 2019

Official Royal Opening of Great Western Air Ambulance Charity’s air base


Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) were delighted to welcome His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester to officially open their new purpose-built emergency operations base in Almondsbury on Wednesday 25th
September.


Moving in to the new site was a huge milestone for the life-saving charity, which celebrated its 10th birthday last year. GWAAC’s Critical Care Team moved into their new home in October 2018, after a successful capital appeal raised £1.3 million needed to purchase the site and secure the future of the charity’s operations.


During his visit on 25th September, His Royal Highness met a range of people who all made last year’s purchase possible, from charity staff and operational crew, to supporters, trustees, patrons and volunteers.


Amongst some of the 80 guests were also members of the South Western Air Ambulance Service Foundation Trust (SWASFT) and Babcock Mission Critical Services, who provide the charity’s helicopter, Helimed 65.


The Duke was given a tour of the new facilities, which culminated in the hangar, where he unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the official opening and met a former patient of GWAAC, Ali Layard and the Specialist Paramedic who attended to him, Pete Sadler.


The Duke gave a speech to guests after unveiling the plaque, saying: “It’s great to see such a splendid building which has all the equipment you need to do such an important job. It’s clear to see how passionate everyone here is about the charity and all the important work that it does.”


Chief Executive, Anna Perry, said: “We were delighted to welcome His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester to the base today for the official opening – the event was the perfect opportunity to get everyone who helped make this possible together and celebrate the hard work that has gone in to this move over the last year, allowing us to keep providing our life-saving service to those who need it the most. Without everyone here today, this would not be possible and we were honoured to show His Royal Highness the incredible work that we do here at Great Western Air Ambulance Charity.”


Also in attendance on the day were representatives from the National Police Air Service (NPAS), who lease half of the base for their operations. Almondsbury is one of 14 National Police Air Service bases. The network provides borderless air support to police forces across England and Wales 24/7, 365 days a year, flying to around 20,000 tasks annually. Air crews and a single NPAS helicopter operate from Almondsbury – in the first year at the base, crews have flown to more than 1,200 tasks.


Chief Superintendent Scott Bisset, Chief Operating Officer of NPAS, said: “The base at Almondsbury provides NPAS with an excellent facility and we’re grateful to GWAAC for allowing us to share their building. Our crews fly from here supporting police forces across the South West and beyond on tasks such as searching for suspects and missing people, vehicle pursuits and the policing of major disturbances and events. We’re delighted to have welcomed His Royal Highness and guests as part of the opening event.”


Chair of the national NPAS Strategic Board Mark Burns-Williamson OBE, Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for West Yorkshire said: “I’m delighted to be attending the official opening event at Almondsbury to see this excellent shared facility with His Royal Highness, GWAAC, NPAS and other guests.”


ENDS




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https://greatwesternairambulance.com/ 25 Sep 2019 19:07:55 GMT Charities & non-profits Health Medical & Pharmaceutical
<![CDATA[ Local air ambulance charity announces record number of jobs for 2018 ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/local-air-ambulance-charity-announces-record-number-of-jobs-for-2018-2c7349ca2e440ba4c008930cbf1cc744/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/local-air-ambulance-charity-announces-record-number-of-jobs-for-2018-2c7349ca2e440ba4c008930cbf1cc744/ Tuesday 15 January, 2019

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) has announced that they attended a record number of incidents in 2018, making it their busiest year to date.

The service, which is entirely charity funded, attended to 1,887 incidents last year across the counties of Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset and surrounding areas.

The charity provides the critical care and Ambulance service to 2.1 million people with a team of highly skilled Critical Care Doctors and Specialist Paramedics in Critical Care, who are able to carry out life-saving interventions from blood transfusions to treating cardiac arrests, at the scene of an incident. The crew attend the most critical incidents across the region by helicopter or by one of two critical care cars, attending on average 5 incidents a day.

Over 65% of missions in 2018 were carried out in one of GWAAC’s critical care cars. If an incident happens within a short distance of the air base, it’s quicker and more cost effective to attend in one of the cars, and as the helicopter can only fly during daylight hours, the cars are critical to incidents that happen at night time.

Chief Executive Anna Perry says: “As these numbers show, there is increasing demand for our vital service each year. 2018 was a very busy year for GWAAC and our crew. Alongside our day to day operations, we also successfully purchased and moved into our new air base in Almondsbury thanks to everyone’s generous donations and support. This move has not only provided much-needed stability but has enabled our crew to work in a suitable environment, meaning we can continue to provide this life-saving service.”

GWAAC recently moved into a new purpose-built air base in Almondsbury, having launched a campaign to Buy Our Base, raising over £1.3 million pounds to secure the future of the service.

The charity needs to raise over £3 million each year to stay operational, but receive no day to day funding from the Government or National Lottery, relying on the generosity of donors and supporters to keep them running.

To find out more on the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity, visit www.gwaac.com

ENDS




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https://greatwesternairambulance.com/ 15 Jan 2019 11:45:55 GMT Charities & non-profits Medical & Pharmaceutical
<![CDATA[ Local air ambulance seeks young patients to join Christmas Party ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/local-air-ambulance-seeks-young-patients-to-join-christmas-party-0189162f58ae1d7746587d8451a761da/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/local-air-ambulance-seeks-young-patients-to-join-christmas-party-0189162f58ae1d7746587d8451a761da/ Thursday 29 November, 2018

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) will be holding a special Christmas party this year for children who have been treated by their crew.

The party will be held at GWAAC’s air base on Sunday 9 December, with the opportunity to meet their heroes and play fun games. Santa himself will even be making a special appearance to give gifts to each of the children.

Head of Fundraising Emma Carter said: “We’re really excited to be hosting our first children’s Christmas party. This will be a lovely opportunity for the children we have treated and their families to meet the crew and have a look at our new air base. We’d love to connect with even more of the children whose lives we have saved, and so are urging parents to get in touch if we have attended to your child”.

GWAAC provide the air ambulance and critical care service across Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire and surrounding areas. So far this year they have attended 1,560 incidents by their helicopter or one of their critical care cars, bringing the expertise of their crew of Critical Care Doctors and Paramedics, along with specialist equipment not carried on a land ambulance, directly to the patient.

If your child has been treated by this life-saving crew, and you would like to find out more about attending the Christmas party, contact Rebecca on Rebecca.miller@gwaac.com




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https://greatwesternairambulance.com/ 29 Nov 2018 14:01:25 GMT Charities & non-profits Children & Teenagers Christmas
<![CDATA[ Local air ambulance charity announces increasing number of jobs ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/local-air-ambulance-charity-announces-increasing-number-of-jobs-666c0fd3e756e71974d7a6cc77ace1f0/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/local-air-ambulance-charity-announces-increasing-number-of-jobs-666c0fd3e756e71974d7a6cc77ace1f0/ Tuesday 28 August, 2018

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) has announced that they have attended a record number of incidents in the first half of 2018.

The service, which is entirely charity funded, attended to patients 1094 times, via helicopter or Critical Care car, this year so far; an increase from the first half of the year in 2017. This figure, if replicated during the following few months of 2018, will prove to be the charity’s busiest year to date.

The charity provides the Critical Care and Air Ambulance service to 2.1 million people across the counties of Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset and surrounding areas. They receive no day-to-day funding from the Government or National Lottery.

The team consists of highly skilled Critical Care Doctors and Specialist Paramedics in Critical Care, who are able to carry out life-saving interventions such as blood transfusions, and administer anaesthetics, at the scene of an incident – in effect bringing the skills you would usually find in an Accident & Emergency department to your garden, the roadside, a park or your home. The GWAAC crew attend on average 5 incidents every single day, providing cutting edge Critical Care at the scene of an accident or medical emergency.

GWAAC recently launched an urgent campaign, Buy our Base. They are appealing for public support them in buying a new air base, as their current one is no longer fit for purpose.

Their current air base in Filton is one of the oldest in the country, and unfortunately is no longer meeting the needs of the increasingly busy service. Added to this, the entire site is set to be re-developed, and will no longer be able to host the service.

Luckily their current landlords, BAE Systems, is building a new air base in Almondsbury for the charity, which will provide a modern home for the life-saving service and which GWAAC will move into before the end of 2018. BAE have now offered GWAAC the opportunity to buy this new air base, thus providing the charity with stability for the foreseeable future.

GWAAC’s Lead Doctor, Ed Valentine, explains: “It has been interesting to see the stats come through about the jobs we have been on since January. It is important for our charity that we are able to continue to offer this service, and so we are calling on the help of the public to buy our new air base and keep us flying way in to the future. Our current base dates from before the First World War, and we really need a suitable place to operate from, to train in and in which to de-brief, be together and support each other as a team.”

The new air base will cost GWAAC £2 million to buy, and they are asking you to help them raise £1 million towards this, plus £250,000 to fully kit it out. That is in addition to the £3 million needed by GWAAC each year to stay operational.

To find out more and an donate to the Buy Our Base appeal visit www.buyourbase.co.uk

ENDS

Notes for editors

GWAAC provide the Critical Care and air ambulance service for 2.1 million people across the counties of Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset and surrounding areas. In 2018 the charity celebrates ten years since its first flight.The GWAAC Critical Care team consists of a highly trained and experienced Critical Care Paramedic and Doctor, who bring the skill and expertise of an Accident and Emergency Department to the patient.In 2017 the Critical Care team attended 1,824 jobs by helicopter and by one of our Critical Care cars. From January to July 2018, the Critical Care team have attended 1,094 jobs by helicopter and by one of our critical care cars.We need to raise over £3 million each year to stay operational, but receive no day to day funding from the Government or National Lottery.

For further information, contact:

Lucy Munn

PR & Digital Communications Coordinator

07484 906493

lucy.munn@gwaac.com

www.greatwesternairambulance.com

@GWAAC




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https://greatwesternairambulance.com/ 28 Aug 2018 13:15:53 GMT Charities & non-profits Transport & Logistics
<![CDATA[ Local lifesaving charity unveils reason behind Minerva Owls name ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/local-lifesaving-charity-unveils-reason-behind-minerva-owls-name-bcef6df3bc7a0c0e5dc37082b6990e13/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/local-lifesaving-charity-unveils-reason-behind-minerva-owls-name-bcef6df3bc7a0c0e5dc37082b6990e13/ Wednesday 8 August, 2018

A local charity who provide the air ambulance and Critical Care service across Bath, have unveiled the significance behind their Owl’s name.

BoB, which is displayed in the Parade Gardens, was designed by Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC), and has been painted with 97 sycamore seeds, each representing an emergency which GWAAC was tasked to in Bath and North East Somerset during 2017. The charity has announced the unique meaning of BoB, which is named after their newly launched appeal Buy our Base. The charity launched a special appeal asking the public to help them to buy their new air base, which is currently being constructed in Almondsbury.

Their current hangar in Filton is one of the oldest in the country, and unfortunately is no longer meeting the needs of the increasingly busy service. Added to this, the entire site is set to be re-developed, and will no longer be able to host the service.

Ian Cantoni, Community Fundraiser for GWAAC, said: “We are really excited to be a part of the Minerva Owl’s trail this year in Bath. Our crew attend to a lot of incidents in Bath, and we really want the local community to know that GWAAC is here for them in times of emergency. The Buy our Base campaign is really important to us as it will ensure our crew, helicopter and Critical Care Cars will be here to serve way in to the future. Owning a base will really make us feel secure and stable.”

GWAAC consists of highly skilled Critical Care Doctors and Specialist Paramedics in Critical Care, who are able to carry out life-saving interventions such as blood transfusions, and administer anaesthetics, at the scene of an incident – in effect bringing the skills you would usually find in an Accident & Emergency department to your garden, the roadside, a park or your home.

The new air base will cost GWAAC £2 million to buy, and they are asking you to help them raise £1 million towards this, plus £250,000 to fully kit it out. That is in addition to the £3 million needed by GWAAC each year to stay operational.

To find out more and donate to the Buy our Base appeal visit: www.buyourbase.co.uk

ENDS

Notes for editors

GWAAC provide the critical care and air ambulance service for 2.1 million people across the counties of Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset and surrounding areas. In 2018 the charity celebrates ten years since its first flight.In 2017 the Critical Care Team attended 1,824 jobs: by helicopter and by one of our critical care cars. We need to raise over £3 million each year to stay operational, but receive no day to day funding from the Government or National Lottery.

For further information, contact:

Lucy Munn

PR & Digital Communications Coordinator

07484 906493

lucy.munn@gwaac.com

www.greatwesternairambulance.com

@GWAAC




Distributed by https://pressat.co.uk/ ]]>
https://twitter.com/GWAAC Pressat pr@gwaac.com
https://greatwesternairambulance.com/

Additional Contact(s):
claire.harris@gwaac.com

]]>
https://greatwesternairambulance.com/ 08 Aug 2018 12:54:38 GMT Charities & non-profits Entertainment & Arts Environment & Nature Health Leisure & Hobbies Media & Marketing Travel & Tourism
<![CDATA[ Bristol school raises funds for local charity ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/bristol-school-raises-funds-for-local-charity-c4d8c61933ab8f5c0066e63ea43e1253/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/bristol-school-raises-funds-for-local-charity-c4d8c61933ab8f5c0066e63ea43e1253/ Wednesday 8 August, 2018

Local School of Christ the King Catholic Primary based in Bristol recently raised a fantastic £449.00 for the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC).

Christ the King supported GWAAC by carrying out a variety of activities, such as a penny trail, film night and ‘guess the name’ competition, as part of their Lent fundraising. The charity’s mascot, Charlie Bear, also made a special trip to the school to tell them all about GWAAC’s life-saving work.

GWAAC provide the Critical Care and air ambulance service for 2.1 million people across the counties of Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset and surrounding areas. Their crew attend the most critical incidents across the region by helicopter or by one of their two critical care cars.

Matt Condon, Headmaster of Christ the King said: “At Christ the King we always have a number of charities we support each year, and this year it was great to support and learn about the work of GWAAC. The children learnt all about their amazing work and on the second visit they had a real treat when they met Charlie Bear! Not only did Charlie teach them more about the GWAAC's work, he also shared a few of his dance moves...!”

Ian Cantoni, Community Fundraising Coordinator at GWAAC said: “It's been a real pleasure working with everyone at Christ the King School. The children's enthusiasm has been so infectious, and they worked so hard to raise an incredible amount for GWAAC. We really can't thank them enough for supporting us. I'm told Charlie Bear really enjoyed his visit, and will continue to work on his 'flossing' and 'dabbing' for next time!”

The GWAAC Critical Care team consists of a highly trained and experienced Pilot, Critical Care Paramedic and Critical Care Doctor. From emergency blood transfusions to roadside amputations or treating cardiac arrests, their crew specialise in Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine and Trauma Medicine, bringing the skills and expertise of an Accident and Emergency Department to the patient. In 2017 the Critical Care Team attended 1,824 jobs, 755 of which were in Bristol alone. Every penny that is raised to support GWAAC is always received with the utmost appreciation and gratitude. When the donations come from schoolchildren as young as this, GWAAC is simply inspired by the selflessness and dedication of our local young community, and it should be applauded. So a huge thank you to the primary school kids at the School of Christ the King.

ENDS

Notes for editors

GWAAC provide the critical care and air ambulance service for 2.1 million people across the counties of Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset and surrounding areas. In 2018 the charity celebrates ten years since its first flight.The GWAAC critical care team consists of a highly trained and experienced Critical Care Paramedic and Doctor, who bring the skill and expertise of an Accident and Emergency Department to the patient.In 2017 the Critical Care Team attended 1,824 jobs: by helicopter and by one of our critical care cars. We need to raise over £3 million each year to stay operational, but receive no day to day funding from the Government or National Lottery.Photo Charlie our Critical Care Bear, children and teacher Dee Higgins.

For further information, contact:

Lucy Munn

PR & Digital Communications Coordinator

07484 906493

lucy.munn@gwaac.com

www.greatwesternairambulance.com

@GWAAC




Distributed by https://pressat.co.uk/ ]]>
https://twitter.com/GWAAC Pressat pr@gwaac.com
https://greatwesternairambulance.com/

Additional Contact(s):
claire.harris@gwaac.com

]]>
https://greatwesternairambulance.com/ 08 Aug 2018 12:54:32 GMT Charities & non-profits Children & Teenagers Education & Human Resources Health Media & Marketing Public Sector & Legal
<![CDATA[ Local air ambulance charity launches appeal to help buy new air base ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/local-air-ambulance-charity-launches-appeal-to-help-buy-new-air-base-61716a1eb4f4b59b64ea12989c24dac9/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/local-air-ambulance-charity-launches-appeal-to-help-buy-new-air-base-61716a1eb4f4b59b64ea12989c24dac9/ Monday 9 July, 2018

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) is appealing to the local community to help raise the vital funds needed to buy their new air base.

Their current air base in Filton is one of the oldest in the country, and unfortunately is no longer meeting the needs of the increasingly busy service. Added to this, the entire site is set to be re-developed, and will no longer be able to host the service..

Luckily their current landlords, BAE Systems, is building a new air base in Almondsbury for the charity, which will provide a modern home for the life-saving service and which GWAAC will move into before the end of 2018.

In an exciting move, BAE Systems have given the charity the opportunity to buy the new base once it’s completed – at a significantly lower price than it cost them to buy the land and build the facilities – thus providing GWAAC with stability for the foreseeable future.

GWAAC’s Lead Doctor, Matt Thomas, explains: “It is so important to my colleagues and I, as well as all of our patients and their families, that we can keep doing the work that we do every day. Our current hangar in Filton dates to before the First World War! It is cold and damp, and no longer fit for purpose. A new home for our helicopter and a more welcoming place to work every day is very exciting, and really means that GWAAC will be here to stay, providing our vital service for every single person across our region. As a charity-funded air ambulance, we rely on the generosity of our supporters, and now we need your help to make this dream a reality.”

The GWAAC crew attend on average 5 incidents every single day, providing cutting edge Critical Care at the scene of an accident or medical emergency.

The charity provides the Critical Care and Air Ambulance service to 2.1 million people across the counties of Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset and surrounding areas. They receive no day-to-day funding from the Government or National Lottery.

The team consists of highly skilled Critical Care Doctors and Specialist Paramedics in Critical Care, who are able to carry out life-saving interventions such as blood transfusions, and administer anaesthetics, at the scene of an incident – in effect bringing the skills you would usually find in an Accident & Emergency department to your garden, the roadside, a park or your home.

Chief Executive Anna Perry says: “The chance to Buy Our Base is an amazing, once in a lifetime opportunity for GWAAC. If the charity owns our base, instead of leasing it, it will provide much-needed stability for our operations, enabling our crew to work in an environment which reflects the importance of their work. We’re here for you, local people from across our region, and it’s thanks to the generosity of our supporters that we are able to provide this life-saving service. Every penny counts, and we’re asking the public to support us in the opportunity to Buy Our Base, in any way that you can!”

The new air base will cost GWAAC £2 million to buy, and they are asking you to help them raise £1 million towards this, plus £250,000 to fully kit it out. That is in addition to the £3 million needed by GWAAC each year to stay operational.

To find out more and donate to the Buy Our Base appeal visit: www.buyourbase.co.uk

ENDS

Download the full media pack from Dropbox with images and videos here: https://bit.ly/2u3ftFA

Notes for editors

In 2018 the charity celebrates ten years since its first flight.The GWAAC critical care team consists of a highly trained and experienced Critical Care Paramedic and Doctor, who bring the skill and expertise of an Accident and Emergency Department to the patient.In 2017 the Critical Care Team attended 1,824 jobs: by helicopter and by one of our critical care cars. A total of fifty sites were surveyed and Almondsbury was the only feasible one due to very specific requirements. For more information, visit GWAAC’s Buy Our Base website: www.buyourbase.co.uk

For further information, contact:

Lucy Munn

PR & Digital Communications Coordinator

07484 906493

lucy.munn@gwaac.com

www.greatwesternairambulance.com

@GWAAC




Distributed by https://pressat.co.uk/ ]]>
https://twitter.com/GWAAC Pressat pr@gwaac.com
https://greatwesternairambulance.com/

Additional Contact(s):
claire.harris@gwaac.com

]]>
https://greatwesternairambulance.com/ 09 Jul 2018 18:26:23 GMT Charities & non-profits
<![CDATA[ Great Western Air Ambulance Charity’s Ride4GWAAC Sunday 15th July ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/great-western-air-ambulance-charitys-ride4gwaac-sunday-15th-july-5fbbb107c0575dcc7522d176c033bfe6/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/great-western-air-ambulance-charitys-ride4gwaac-sunday-15th-july-5fbbb107c0575dcc7522d176c033bfe6/ Thursday 5 July, 2018

Motorbikers are invited to the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity’s (GWAAC) third Ride Out event, taking place next Sunday 15th July. Families are also welcome to the free festival that will follow the Ride Out.

At 10am on Sunday, hundreds of motorbikers will be taking to the roads of Bristol to ride a wonderful route around the city in aid of GWAAC. The event has been a great success for the last two years, and the team at GWAAC are very much looking forward to this year’s Ride Out. All the funds raised at this event will go towards the charity, helping to ensure the life-saving service remains operational.

Mel Rowbottom who is a Freewheeler is going to be leading the Ride Out on Sunday. Freewheelers are a team of volunteers who deliver lifesaving blood and plasma to us every day of the year. Known as the Blood Bikes, they are all bikers who work tirelessly to carry this and other medical items across the South West.

Mel said: “I am really looking forward to leading GWAAC’s third Ride Out. It is a really important event to Freewheelers as it significantly represents the close connection between the air ambulance and motorcyclists. Some riders on the 15th or their families or friends would have been saved by the doctors and paramedics working at GWAAC. Freewheeler volunteers deliver the vital blood and plasma, every night of the year, that they need to do that lifesaving work. Plus, the Ride4GWAAC event is a fun day out for all the family and a wonderful ride around Bristol!”

Following the ride around Bristol, bikers, families and GWAAC crew will be enjoying some live music, food & drink and entertainment at the St Mary’s Old Boys Rugby Club in Bradley Stoke. This will be starting at 12 noon.

We can look forward to stall holders including GWAAC’s Heart Starters; Bristol Advanced Motorcyclists; Freewheelers; Riders and Great Western Chapters. We have activities including Sand Art Kids Entertainment; fairground rides (provided by Allianz); Ducati Be Wiser and a bouncy castle! Great music to be expected from bands such as Ride the Edge and Tongue & Groove; and if you are hungry and thirsty we will have Delicious Diner, StrEat Pizza and Mmm! Coffee.

GWAAC provide the air ambulance and critical care service across Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset and surrounding areas. We operate 365 days a year from our helicopter or Critical Care Cars, providing life-saving support to 2.1 million people, and ensuring a Critical Care Doctor and Specialist Paramedic in Critical Care are on the scene as fast as possible. We receive no day-to-day funding from the Government, relying on fundraising and donations to raise over £3 million which is needed each year. By taking part in Ride4GWAAC you’ll be helping us continue to save lives.

Remember you can still buy tickets! Click here to register to ride. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at info@gwaac.com

ENDS

Notes for editors

In 2018 the charity celebrates ten years since its first flight.The GWAAC critical care team consists of a highly trained and experienced Critical Care Paramedic and Doctor, who bring the skill and expertise of an Accident and Emergency Department to the patient.In 2017 the Critical Care Team attended 1,824 jobs: by helicopter and by one of our critical care cars.

For further information, contact:

Lucy Munn

PR & Digital Communications Coordinator

07484 906493

lucy.munn@gwaac.com

www.greatwesternairambulance.com

@GWAAC




Distributed by https://pressat.co.uk/ ]]>
https://twitter.com/GWAAC Pressat pr@gwaac.com
https://greatwesternairambulance.com/

Additional Contact(s):
claire.harris@gwaac.com

]]>
https://greatwesternairambulance.com/ 05 Jul 2018 17:09:24 GMT Charities & non-profits Leisure & Hobbies Men's Interest Motoring Sport Transport & Logistics Travel & Tourism
<![CDATA[ Local charity’s doctors and paramedics offer motor bikers some road safety tips based on accidents they see every day ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/local-charitys-doctors-and-paramedics-offer-motor-bikers-some-road-safety-tips-based-on-accidents-they-see-every-day-00d01242f32988aac2d89b6a5ef78e91/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/local-charitys-doctors-and-paramedics-offer-motor-bikers-some-road-safety-tips-based-on-accidents-they-see-every-day-00d01242f32988aac2d89b6a5ef78e91/ Thursday 28 June, 2018
Great Western Air Ambulance Charity’s (GWAAC) Critical Care Team of specialist paramedics and doctors unfortunately attend to a great number of motorcyclist accidents. In 2017, the team attended 329 road traffic collisions, many of which involved bikers.

The GWAAC crew are doctors and paramedics with specialist training that essentially bring the skills and expertise found in a hospital to the side of the road, a park or someone’s house or back garden.

The crew are busier now than ever. 2018 has shown GWAAC attending on average 5 jobs a day. One day in May, the total flying hours were 3 hours and 45 minutes, meaning the team surpassed the record of hours flown in one given day since the charity started. GWAAC continues to look for ways to enhance the level of care provided in order to ensure the best possible outcome for patients. Last summer, the charity introduced fresh frozen plasma to their kit which, with its vital clotting factors, can stabilise a patient who is losing a lot of blood at a rapid rate. In order to continue to develop their service, they of course need to raise more funds, and statistics are showing that the rate of incidents is on the rise.

Given that so many of the incidents GWAAC attend to are road traffic collisions, often involving motorbikes, one of the charity’s doctors, Ed Valentine, provides tips which could help to prevent more of the type of things that Ed and his team see regularly. Ed says “I suppose they are fairly obvious”, however at GWAAC we feel that a reminder could only be of benefit.

Tips to consider for motorcyclists out there:

Reduce speed – any collision is going to be more serious the faster the bike is travelling. Sticking to the speed limit and travelling at a speed appropriate to the road, and also noting weather and traffic conditions, are important.Anticipate other road users doing silly things, for example, cars pulling out of junctions without looking. Take extra care and slow down when approaching junctions or crossroads.Wear highly visible clothing so that you’re seen and check all the lights on your bike are working. The team say that they rarely attend to accidents where bikers are actually wearing high visibility clothing. Wear clothes that make you seen!Make sure the bike is in good working condition, check the tyres and brakes for example.Wear appropriate clothing and safety protection – a proper helmet is essential and wearing leathers is vital to prevent serious injury.Don’t ride when tired.If in doubt go slower and be cautious.

Many incidents that Ed and the team attend to have occurred when bikes have overtaken slower moving vehicles. Ed highlights this as a particular cause of the accidents they see, and urges people to take care when overtaking.

Indeed, these tips don’t just apply to motorcyclists; car drivers should take note and be bike aware.

Sunday 15th July sees the charity’s annual Ride4GWAAC event which unites riders and highlights safety issues as a biker. Some riders taking part may have been patients that our doctors like Ed have saved.

To register and buy a ticket, click here. The event isn’t just for bikers and includes a family fun festival which follows the ride out and is completely free of charge! Please support your local air ambulance charity and join us on Sunday 15th July at St Mary’s Old Boys Rugby Club in Bradley Stoke

Further information can be found on our website www.ride4gwaac.com By coming along and supporting GWAAC, you will keep our air ambulance flying and saving lives for the 2.1 million people that live in our region. We look forward to seeing you there!

ENDS

Notes for editors

GWAAC provide the critical care and air ambulance service for 2.1 million people across the counties of Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset and surrounding areas. In 2018 the charity celebrates ten years since its first flight.The GWAAC critical care team consists of a highly trained and experienced Critical Care Paramedic and Doctor, who bring the skill and expertise of an Accident and Emergency Department to the patient.In 2017 the Critical Care Team attended 1,824 jobs: by helicopter and by one of our critical care cars. We need to raise over £3 million each year to stay operational, but receive no day to day funding from the Government or National Lottery.

For further information, contact:

Lucy Munn

PR & Digital Communications Coordinator

07484 906493

lucy.munn@gwaac.com

www.greatwesternairambulance.com

@GWAAC




Distributed by https://pressat.co.uk/ ]]>
https://twitter.com/GWAAC Pressat pr@gwaac.com
https://greatwesternairambulance.com/

Additional Contact(s):
claire.harris@gwaac.com

]]>
https://greatwesternairambulance.com/ 28 Jun 2018 15:26:17 GMT Charities & non-profits Health Leisure & Hobbies Sport Transport & Logistics Travel & Tourism
<![CDATA[ Bristol Bears receive specialist CPR training from the GWAAC crew ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/bristol-bears-receive-specialist-cpr-training-from-the-gwaac-crew-6537278aeb531105f057c690366c4f36/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/bristol-bears-receive-specialist-cpr-training-from-the-gwaac-crew-6537278aeb531105f057c690366c4f36/ Friday 22 June, 2018

On Wednesday June 20th, a team of orange-suited medics from the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) visited the Bristol Bears training ground to teach the team essential life support skills.

Head coach Pat Lam was keen for the players and staff to receive training in life-saving CPR, saying “you never know when someone around you is going to need your help, and by learning a few simple skills nearly everyone can become a potential lifesaver.”

The GWAAC crew are all highly skilled in providing this type of treatment, as the team is made up of Consultant Doctors and Specialist Paramedics in Critical Care. They take the skills and equipment more usually found in an A&E department to the scene of a medical incident or accident. In 2017, GWAAC were called out to 1,824 jobs for the 2.1 million people in Bristol, Bath & North East Somerset, North Somerset, Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire.

Last year, GWAAC’s Great Western Heart Starters team trained over 1,000 children in CPR, with the aim of creating a new generation of local lifesavers.

GWAAC Lead Doctor, Matt Thomas, said: “We always welcome an invitation to teach CPR and it is very important to myself and the crew. We see every day how having these simple skills really can save lives. It is a clear strategy in that the more people who can deliver CPR the more people we can save.”

Matt continued: “We adapt each session to the needs of the participants, but on this occasion we were a bit worried about whether our manikins, all called Annie, would cope with the strength and weight of the Bristol Bears! (No Annies were harmed during the training!).”

Joe Hughes, GWAAC’s lead fundraiser in Bristol, said: “It is always interesting to witness the crew deliver CPR training. It was a bit of fun seeing the GWAAC mascot Charlie the Critical Care Bear finally meet some real bears; he’s not used to meeting people as big as he is! But the crew take the training very seriously and you really can see how important it is to them to teach these skills far and wide.”

For more information on GWAAC and how you can help, please do visit our website www.gwaac.com

ENDS

Notes for editors

On 3rd June 2018 the charity celebrated ten years since its first flight.We need to raise over £3 million each year to stay operational, but receive no day to day funding from the Government or National Lottery.In 2017 GWAAC launched the Great Western Heart Starters programme. Great Western Heart Starters is a training programme for school pupils in years 8-10. Our vision is to create a region of heart starters who can confidently administer CPR and use an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) should they ever find themselves in a situation where it’s needed.

For further information, contact:

Lucy Munn

PR & Digital Communications Coordinator

07484 906493

lucy.munn@gwaac.com

www.greatwesternairambulance.com

@GWAAC




Distributed by https://pressat.co.uk/ ]]>
https://twitter.com/GWAAC Pressat pr@gwaac.com
https://greatwesternairambulance.com/

Additional Contact(s):
claire.harris@gwaac.com

]]>
https://greatwesternairambulance.com/ 22 Jun 2018 09:51:16 GMT Charities & non-profits Health Media & Marketing Sport
<![CDATA[ Meet the volunteer ‘Blood Bikes’ who deliver blood to local air ambulance charity ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/meet-the-volunteer-blood-bikes-who-deliver-blood-to-local-air-ambulance-charity-3204210ba08a03b888a210bf694dbd65/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/meet-the-volunteer-blood-bikes-who-deliver-blood-to-local-air-ambulance-charity-3204210ba08a03b888a210bf694dbd65/ Wednesday 20 June, 2018

Meet the team of bikers who voluntarily give up their free time to deliver lifesaving blood products to the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC), every day of the week, every day of the year; whom, without their services, GWAAC would simply not be able to save as many lives as they do.

Freewheelers are a team of volunteers who deliver lifesaving blood and plasma to GWAAC every day of the year. Known as the Blood Bikes, they are all bikers who work tirelessly to carry this and other medical items across the South West. This is why Freewheelers are of utmost importance to GWAAC and indeed the public.

GWAAC’s Critical Care Doctors and Paramedics have been able to save more lives since they started to carry blood and plasma as part of their kit. The Critical Care team attend to emergencies where patients often need immediate treatment which cannot wait for the hospital, and the blood and plasma is vital, for example where the patient is losing blood at a very rapid rate, the use of plasma, with its vital clotting factors, can stabilise a patient. The crew are Doctors and Paramedics with specialist training and carry out many of the same surgical interventions that you would expect to take place in hospital; however, the GWAAC crew carry those out at the side of the road, in parks or in someone’s house or back garden. Therefore, the delivery of blood and plasma made by Freewheelers to the GWAAC crew is vital for saving those lives in those very critical times of emergency.

GWAAC will be hosting its third ride out event this summer, Sunday 15th July. The event is run in close conjunction with Freewheelers and in particular Mel Rowbottom, who plays a vital role in organising the event alongside GWAAC colleagues. Road safety is an integral part of GWAAC’s work. Last year we attended 329 road traffic collisions, many of which involved motorcyclists. This is why we will be hosting a ride out which unites riders and highlights safety issues as a biker. Some riders taking part may have been patients that GWAAC have saved.

Mel has been a biker for 16 years, an advanced rider since 2003 and a Freewheeler since 2008 (you must be an advanced rider in order to be a Freewheeler). For Mel, a full time Accountant for BT, her hobby became something of significant importance, driving a motorbike to deliver these lifesaving products.

Mel commented on working with us for the ride out: “Being a member of the Bristol Advanced Motorcyclists group, I often lead ride outs for them, although on a much smaller scale! After the first GWAAC ride out in which I helped to marshall and act as the last rider sweeping up the group, I was asked to help with the organising of future ride outs and volunteered to lead. Part of organising the ride out means we get to meet up with other motorcycle groups and spread the word about the ride out, plus encourage a few extra people to marshall so we don’t run out!”

Freewheelers carry out 50 jobs a week Monday to Thursday, and up to 90 jobs over the weekend. They need to raise £120,000 per year to fund themselves and £15,000 funds their service to us at the air ambulance. In total, there are 120 Freewheelers that carry out this vital service to us all in the South West – Bristol, Bath and Taunton being the main delivery locations.

The GWAAC crew unfortunately attend to a great number of motorbike accidents, so hosting this ride out as a way of fundraising to keep us flying is very meaningful to the GWAAC team and its Blood Biker colleagues.

To find out more about Ride4GWAAC and support our life-saving work, click here. If you are a motorcyclist and would like to take part you can buy your ticket here.

ENDS

Notes for editors

GWAAC provide the critical care and air ambulance service for 2.1 million people across the counties of Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset and surrounding areas. In 2018 the charity celebrates ten years since its first flight.The GWAAC critical care team consists of a highly trained and experienced Critical Care Paramedic and Doctor, who bring the skill and expertise of an Accident and Emergency Department to the patient.In 2017 the Critical Care Team attended 1,824 jobs: by helicopter and by one of our critical care cars. We need to raise over £3 million each year to stay operational, but receive no day to day funding from the Government or National Lottery.To find out more about Freewheelers and being a Blood Biker, follow this link.

For further information, contact:

Lucy Munn

PR & Digital Communications Coordinator

07484 906493

lucy.munn@gwaac.com

www.greatwesternairambulance.com

@GWAAC




Distributed by https://pressat.co.uk/ ]]>
https://twitter.com/GWAAC Pressat pr@gwaac.com
https://greatwesternairambulance.com/

Additional Contact(s):
claire.harris@gwaac.com

]]>
https://greatwesternairambulance.com/ 20 Jun 2018 12:38:05 GMT Charities & non-profits Leisure & Hobbies
<![CDATA[ Charity motorcycle ride out set to be bigger than ever ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/charity-motorcycle-ride-out-set-to-be-bigger-than-ever-c9f69f15ee890d6c36f3b6fa662430f9/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/charity-motorcycle-ride-out-set-to-be-bigger-than-ever-c9f69f15ee890d6c36f3b6fa662430f9/ Friday 15 June, 2018

Summer has officially begun and that means that the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity’s Ride4GWAAC is just around the corner, on Sunday 15th July. GWAAC is really looking forward to seeing everyone there and for the spectacle which will be the hundreds of bikers setting off on the fabulous route around Bristol.

Ride4GWAAC 2018 is set to be bigger and better than ever, with a great load of family fun at the festival following the ride out. Get ready for plenty of delicious food such as StrEat Pizza, Savs Whippy and Delicious Diner; entertainment and fun for the kids such as motor cross racers and even goody bags being given out by Ducati Be Wiser. In addition, Ride4GWAAC’s festival will have plenty of merchandise and all your biking favourites to have a shop around on the day.

Emma Carter, Head of Fundraising and Marketing said: “The GWAAC team are so excited about Ride4GWAAC this year. It has been a wonderful success the last two years and this year we have some great stuff in store for attendees. We want to remind the public that this is not just for bikers! You and your family can come along for the festival and have a nice day out – something fun to do on a Sunday in July, and it is free! We look forward to seeing you all there.”

On the day of the festival guests will have the opportunity to see our lively green helicopter land, and be able to meet our crew of Specialist Doctors and Paramedics. Last year we attended 329 road traffic collisions, many of which involved motorcyclists. This is why we will be hosting a ride out which unites riders and highlights safety issues as a biker. Some riders taking part may have been patients that GWAAC have saved.

The ride out starts at 10am, and join GWAAC at St Mary's Old Boys rugby Club in Bradley Stoke for the family fun.

If you still want to register to ride, click here. Check out our new route here. For all other information on Ride4GWAAC including festival information, location and more about GWAAC, click here.

ENDS

Notes for editors

GWAAC provide the critical care and air ambulance service for 2.1 million people across the counties of Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset and surrounding areas. In 2018 the charity celebrates ten years since its first flight.The GWAAC critical care team consists of a highly trained and experienced Critical Care Paramedic and Doctor, who bring the skill and expertise of an Accident and Emergency Department to the patient.In 2017 the Critical Care Team attended 1,824 jobs: by helicopter and by one of our critical care cars. We need to raise over £3 million each year to stay operational, but receive no day to day funding from the Government or National Lottery.

For further information contact:

Lucy Munn

PR & Digital Communications Coordinator

07484 906493

lucy.munn@gwaac.com

www.greatwesternairambulance.com

@GWAAC




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claire.harris@gwaac.com

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https://greatwesternairambulance.com/ 15 Jun 2018 13:01:58 GMT Charities & non-profits Health Media & Marketing Motoring
<![CDATA[ What should you do when you see a helicopter trying to land? ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/what-should-you-do-when-you-see-a-helicopter-trying-to-land-bfe53f95b45abcae95919f1badadd6fb/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/what-should-you-do-when-you-see-a-helicopter-trying-to-land-bfe53f95b45abcae95919f1badadd6fb/ Thursday 24 May, 2018

The Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) provides emergency care via helicopter and car to medical emergencies and traumatic injuries across Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, Gloucestershire, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset and surrounding areas. We have now been flying our helicopters across these areas, saving lives, for 10 years!

The GWAAC Critical Care team consists of a highly trained and experienced Pilot, Critical Care Paramedic and Critical Care Doctor. From emergency blood transfusions to roadside amputations or treating cardiac arrests, our crew specialise in Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine and Trauma Medicine, quite literally bringing the hospital to the patient.

It can be exciting when you witness a helicopter trying to land near you. The fact is that our doctors and paramedics attend to emergencies in all kinds of locations - meaning that the pilot could have the very difficult job of landing in a park or a street. Understandably the pilot, doctors and paramedics on board the helicopter are concerned for your safety when they have to land in these public places, and they also understand the excitement and interest in the helicopter and of the scene unfolding.

Whilst GWAAC welcomes your interest, we are asking for your help to ensure that the helicopter can do its job by landing and getting to the patient in need as quickly as possible. Some of the emergencies attended by the GWAAC team can, quite seriously, mean life or death in a matter of minutes, so every second really does count. With your help, working with the GWAAC team, you can ensure you are doing your bit to help make the process of landing the helicopter and getting to the patient goes as smoothly as possible.

GWAAC has a few simple steps to follow if you spot the helicopter overhead:

Move to the edges of the field so that the pilot has a clear space to land. The helicopter creates a strong down wash, and so hold on to your children, dogs, and any loose items you have with you.When the helicopter is coming in to land cover your eyes, to protect them from any debris.Make sure not to approach the helicopter until the blades have stopped turning and the pilot has left the aircraft.Finally, when you see the helicopter taking off, make sure not to approach the area that has been vacated until you see the helicopter in forward flight and is well clear of the landing site in case the helicopter needs to abort the take off.

These short and simple tips can help keep you safe and can give confidence to the paramedics and doctors that they are ready and able to do their job of getting to that patient as quickly as possible and attending to their immediate care.

When you see a helicopter preparing for take-off, please follow the same tips as for landing. When the patient is boarded on to the helicopter, a smooth and fast departure is essential to ensuring the patient is taken to hospital as quickly as possible.

To learn more about GWAAC, including events and how you can help, visit our website www.gwaac.com. GWAAC is not funded by the Government or the National Lottery, and therefore depends on the kindness and generosity of the public to be able to save lives every day. We are incredibly grateful for your support.

ENDS

Notes for editors

GWAAC provide the critical care and air ambulance service for 2.1 million people across the counties of Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset and surrounding areas. In 2018 the charity celebrates ten years since its first flightThe GWAAC critical care team consists of a highly trained and experienced Critical Care Paramedic and Doctor, who bring the skill and expertise of an Accident and Emergency Department to the patient.In 2017 the Critical Care Team attended 1,824 jobs: by helicopter and by one of our critical care cars. We need to raise over £3 million each year to stay operational, but receive no day to day funding from the Government or National Lottery.

For further information contact:

Lucy Munn

PR & Digital Communications Coordinator

07484 906493

lucy.munn@gwaac.com

www.greatwesternairambulance.com

@GWAAC




Distributed by https://pressat.co.uk/ ]]>
https://twitter.com/GWAAC Pressat pr@gwaac.com
https://greatwesternairambulance.com/

Additional Contact(s):
claire.harris@gwaac.com

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https://greatwesternairambulance.com/ 24 May 2018 12:16:44 GMT Charities & non-profits
<![CDATA[ Charity Announces New route for Annual Ride Out Event ]]> https://pressat.co.uk/releases/charity-announces-new-route-for-annual-ride-out-event-5b1940c257babca1bdc1599cebbc3cd5/ https://pressat.co.uk/releases/charity-announces-new-route-for-annual-ride-out-event-5b1940c257babca1bdc1599cebbc3cd5/ Monday 14 May, 2018

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity’s (GWAAC's) Ride Out and Festival, Ride4GWAAC, is back with a new scenic route across Bristol and surrounding areas.

The Ride Out is taking place on Sunday 15th July. Starting at St Mary’s Old Boys Rugby Club in Bradley Stoke. The new route takes in many of the sites around Bristol, including the iconic Clifton Suspension Bridge.

GWAAC is a charity that provides the Critical Care and air ambulance service for 2.1 million people across the counties of Bristol, Bath and North East Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire, North Somerset and surrounding areas. They are also celebrating 10 years of flying this year.

The GWAAC Critical Care team consists of highly trained and experienced Pilots, Specialist Paramedics in Critical Care and Critical Care Doctors. From emergency blood transfusions to roadside amputations or treating cardiac arrests, their crew specialise in Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine and Trauma Medicine. In 2017 the Critical Care Team attended 1,824 jobs.

As a charity they need to raise over £3 million each year to stay operational, but receive no day to day funding from the Government or National Lottery – by taking part in Ride4GWAAC you'll be playing a key role in helping them raise those essential funds.

Ride4GWAAC is one of the biggest motorbike Ride Out's in the area, and last year over 350 motorbike riders and their pillions took part. This year is set to be even bigger and better than ever! Tickets are available now for riders here.

The Ride Out takes place in the morning, and is followed by a festival which is free to attend for all the family! Expect live music, great food and plenty of entertainment throughout the day.

To find out more visit: http://www.ride4gwaac.com




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https://twitter.com/GWAAC Pressat pr@gwaac.com
https://greatwesternairambulance.com/

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claire.harris@gwaac.com

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https://greatwesternairambulance.com/ 14 May 2018 15:18:48 GMT Charities & non-profits Entertainment & Arts Leisure & Hobbies Men's Interest Motoring