How did we Achieve this?

Hard work, sound planning and dedication are the simple answers. We have faced difficulties and will no doubt encounter more in the future, but our determination and focus to develop the best service possible has allowed us to prevail and we believe we are well equipped to do so again in the future. Central to our development has been our constant drive to improve the awareness of our work in the wider community. Without constant reminders of the work we are carrying out, the call to action would not be heard and our resources would have proved insufficient to allow us to continue.

Consequently we recognise that the support of the general public has been the real driver behind our successes. But each year of growth increases the legislative and governance demands placed upon us, and to ensure we continue to operate the service in line with the regulations, there is an unavoidable requirement to employ qualified staff. At present, we have 36 full time employees supplemented by about 50 volunteers. Additionally, the GNAAS Trading Company, a recycling business set up to donate its profit to the charity, employs a further 60 staff. The whole organisation could not develop or deliver anything like the level of service we provide today were it not for full time workers.

The charity and its associated Trading Company therefore has the secondary benefit of creating employment opportunities in a region which has suffered more than most from business closures and redundancies in recent years. However, it is important to mention that if anyone thinks that their donation pays for salaries or general administrative needs they would be wrong. These costs are provided for through business activities.

To summarise, the charity is dependent on the public’s generosity, professionally supported by dedicated, hard working employees and volunteers all working together to sustain what is now probably the best all round air ambulance in the country today.