Sky's the limit for Yorkshire Air Ambulance charity
FOR Ron and Wendy Huckerby it was an easy decision to make. Keen to support a charity through their line-dancing classes, the two enthusiasts have been giving their wholehearted support to Yorkshire Air Ambulance for the past five years.
"This year we're on target to raise 2,000 and over the past seven years, we've probably raised about 7,000," said Ron.
The couple's efforts make them one of Yorkshire Air Ambulance's most successful charity fund-raisers. The money is raised at their classes at Brighouse Assembly Rooms, Wyke Methodist Church and Christ Church, Lightcliffe, and includes the proceeds of raffles and collections of loose change.
"This is our way of giving something back," said Mr Huckerby. "The Air Ambulance does such a fantastic job – yet it relies on donations to keep it going. We hold a raffle once a month at our classes and people give us prizes. Everyone is happy to help – after all, you never know when you're going to need the help of the Air Ambulance."
It's a view that many supporters of YAA are happy to share. Pat Lee, of Brighouse, is training as a YAA volunteer and is preparing to spend her spare time raising awareness of the charity's valuable work.
Pat, aged 66, said: "I'm training to become a speaker so that I can go out to various groups and organisations around Yorkshire and tell them all about the work of YAA.
" I'm sure a lot people don't realise that it's a charity or how much it costs per day to run. I just want to help spread the word."
Yorkshire Air Ambulance was set up in 2000 and to date more than 2,830 patients have been rescued.
One of the most recent rescues in the Brighouse area was of an elderly woman whose car smashed off the road and into a field in Southowram.
Both of Yorkshire's air ambulances are MD902 Explorers and have state-of-the-art medical and helicopter specification. The first air ambulance is based at Leeds Bradford International Airport, the second at Sheffield Business Park.
Both helicopers can reach speeds of up to 160mph and provide cover for the region every day of the year, serving five million people.
Helping to highlight YAA's work is the BBC programme 'Helicopter Heroes', presented by Rav Wilding, which began a new series on Monday.
Marketing co-ordinator Abby McClymont said: "This is the third series and it just gets better. People really enjoy watching the air ambulance crews at work and it does a tremendous amount of good in raising our profile."
It was the public response to 'Top Gear' presenter Richard Hammond's accident in 2006 and the involvement of the YAA in saving him that enabled the purchase of the second helicopter to go ahead. Donations in the wake of the high-profile accident reached 250,000.
YAA has also entered into a partnership with Huddersfield Town Football Club and the Youth Academy for the 2009/10 season to promote the 'Keep It Up' appeal. For every 1 raised, HTAFC will give 50p to the YAA and 50p will go to the Youth Academy which encourages the development of future football stars from the community.
YAA will also display their logo on the front of Huddersfield Town's home shirts – the first time the club has had a non-commercial company on their shirt.
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Weather for Halifax
Wednesday 23 May 2012
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