HARD-WORKING volunteers supporting Wiltshire Air Ambulance have attended an event, on average, every two days.
Since the start of January this year until the end of National Volunteers’ Week (8th June), the charity’s volunteers, called GroundCrew, attended 75 events and gave approximately 702 hours.
They attended events that were fundraising for Wiltshire Air Ambulance or to raise awareness about the charity. Volunteers also gave talks to community groups and schools and represented the charity at cheque presentations. Many of the events attended by the volunteers were at weekends or in the evenings.
To celebrate their dedication and to thank them for their tireless efforts, Wiltshire Air Ambulance hosted an open evening at their new airbase at Semington, near Melksham, on 13th June.
More than 40 volunteers went to the open evening where they were thanked by chief executive, David Philpott, and given a tour of the building.
Jemma Brown, Wiltshire Air Ambulance’s volunteer manager said, “The hours and the support that our volunteers give to Wiltshire Air Ambulance is immeasurable. We cannot do what we need to do without the valuable time our volunteers give us by going to events, cheque presentations and delivering talks.
“This not only raises funds, but also vital awareness of the charity and our work. Our volunteers help save lives and for that, we cannot thank them enough. We are always looking for new volunteers to join the team, so if you are interested, please contact us by emailing hello@wilt shireairambulance.co.uk or call the charity team on 01225 300536.”
Rosy Castellari, who is a new volunteer with Wiltshire Air Ambulance said, “Volunteering is a brilliant way to get kids interested in the community spirit, meet new people, share stories and is something to be immensely proud of and I would implore people to consider it.
“As well as being a huge aviation fan, I got involved because if I or my son needed critical care, it would more likely be Wiltshire Air Ambulance coming to our aid. With the charity receiving no day-to-day Government funding, I want to make sure I am doing my bit to keep this valuable service available for everyone.”
