AN architect who was airlifted by the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) after falling off scaffolding is hosting a musical festival to raise money for the charity.
Arron Atmore, 47, from Monk Hesleden, was working on one of the cottages he owns in Nenthead, Alston, when he fell approximately 15 feet off the scaffolding in September 2016.
Mr Atmore had broken his back in three places and the GNAAS paramedic and doctor team were the first to arrive on scene.
Shortly afterwards paramedics from the North West Ambulance Service attended the incident and assisted the GNAAS team with assessing and treating Mr Atmore.
He was flown to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle where he stayed for a couple of weeks and had surgery on his shoulder where he had snapped a tendon, however he did not have any surgery on his back, and instead carried out physiotherapy to help with his recovery.
He said: “On the whole I want to say thank you to everybody at GNAAS, the land ambulance, the hospital and the patients at the hospital who helped me out when I couldn’t do a lot.
“I am an architect and as soon as I could get back to work I did, I don’t how long I had off but it was a while. If anybody saw me now they wouldn’t even know what I’d been through. My back still hurts occasionally and I still do physio and exercises for it, but in essence I was given a good chance of recovery because of the air ambulance.
“I feel I owe GNAAS and I can’t believe that they are a charity because they are so essential. The local hospital has shut in Alston and we’re becoming more and more isolated, which highlights the need for an air ambulance in our area. I feel indebted to GNAAS and I wanted to do something to raise money so that’s why I’ve organized a music festival.”
Lonesome Pine Music Festival is being held on Saturday June 30 3pm – late at Bankside Farm, Nenthead, Alston, Cumbria CA9 3NA. There will be a variety of live music to suit all ages, a licensed bar, BBQ and stalls. Entry is a minimum donation of £5 and there is also camping available in return for a donation.
For further information, visit: https://www.facebook.com/lonesomepinemusicfestival
To support GNAAS and its doctor-led trauma teams, please visit the charity’s website at www.gnaas.com or call 01325-487263. Last year, it needed to raise £5.1m to survive.
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