Supporters of the region’s air ambulance service raised approximately £25,000 at a ball held in Carlisle, which is enough to fund five missions.
Around 155 guests attended the 20th Birthday Charity Ball at The Garden at Eden, Carlisle, on Saturday 5 November in aid of the Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS).
For 20 years, the charity has provided critical care to the most severely ill and injured people in the region and responded to over 24,000 incidents.
To celebrate the milestone, the 1920’s themed ball had games, a raffle, auction, disco, a performance by Studio A Dance Company and live music by Soul Survivors.
Attendees at the ball included supporters, businesses, patients and staff of the charity, as well as a guest appearance from the critical care team who were working Saturday night in Cumbria.
Since May last year the charity has provided a paramedic and doctor team on a rapid response vehicle two nights a week on Friday and Saturday.
The vehicle carries the same equipment that is on the aircraft, which means the team can provide the same level of care. The only difference is they can’t transport patients.
The charity hopes to be able to expand their night-time service to seven nights a week but this can only be achieved if they raise the additional required funding.
It currently costs £7.7m a year to keep the service operational and the average cost of a call-out is £4,478.
More than £25,000 was raised at the charity ball, which is enough to fund at least five missions.
Tracey Wright, events coordinator at GNAAS, said: “The people of Cumbria have always greatly supported our charity, so it was an honour to have some of them at our ball to celebrate 20 years of providing life-saving care.
“I am thrilled that we’ve been able to raise enough money to fund five missions, as that means potentially five people’s lives saved, and many families kept together as a result.
“This has only been possible thanks to our attendees, volunteers, and the incredible individuals and businesses who provided donations, sponsorship and entertainment.”
Event details for next year’s charity ball will be confirmed at a later date, but you can register your interest by emailing events@gnaas.com
Share
