Put your hands together for May’s Fundraising Heroes 

From mountain climbs and marathon efforts to community bingo nights and bucket collections, supporters from across the North came together to raise vital funds for our air ambulance service. 

Let’s take a look at some of May’s fundraising heroes… 

Lions on a mission 

Our first airbase visit of the month was a memorable one, as we welcomed the lovely team representing Yarm Lions, who raised £800 through bucket collections. 

It was a pleasure to show them around and introduce them to Joe, our CEO, and Pilot JJ. Not only did they get a photo with the heli, but they also witnessed our crews take off to a real call-out. 

They really enjoyed their visit and left inspired to spread the word to Lions Clubs in their area. Even more excitingly, GNAAS has been chosen as their charity from June 2026 to 2027, so we’re looking forward to seeing them again soon. 

The Strands National 

We welcomed The Strands National Team, who hosted their version of the Grand National in fancy dress, to our Langwathby Airbase for a cheque presentation this month.  

While they were here, they shared the exciting news that we will now be their chosen charity going forward. 

We’re so grateful for their ongoing support and can’t wait to see what they have planned next! 

Climbing for a cause 

Craig Greenwood from Tridonic took fundraising to new heights by climbing Scafell Pike and raising an incredible £915 for our charity.  

A large portion of the donations came from members of the North East RD Owners Club, so we’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who donated. It’s lovely to see how generous the biking community can be when rallying behind a good cause. 

A winning vote 

We were delighted to receive a £500 donation from Tesco Kingston Park following a public vote in support of our SOS Appeal. 

A huge thank you to Lesley and the Tesco customers who chose to support our life-saving service. Every vote truly made a difference. 

A full-circle moment 

We were honoured to welcome Cllr Christine Hallatsch, Mayor of Windermere & Bowness Town Council, to our Langwathby airbase on her final day in office.  

Joined by her daughter Vicky, the Mayor kindly presented us with a £250 donation from her annual allowance, recognising the vital role our service plays in supporting local communities. 

Not long after the mayor had left, the crew were called out once again – this time to Windermere. In a lovely full-circle moment, Doctor Kris captured a photo for the mayor, linking her visit to yet another real-life mission in the very community she supports. 

Remembering Ronald

We welcomed the family of former patient Ronald Murray to one of our HQ for a deeply moving visit.

Although Ronald has sadly passed away, his loved ones kindly chose to honour his memory with an incredible £1,000 donation to support our service.

Base visits like these are always incredibly special.

A bridge of generosity 

We’d like to say a huge thank you to the Keswick Bridge Appeal for their generous £750 donation and continued support of our charity. 

Running in Jordan’s memory 

Mandy recently met Savina and Mark Thomas, and their family, who raised an astonishing £12,000 for us in memory of their son Jordan. 

Jordan’s three cousins took on the incredible challenge of running the TT course every day for 5 days – an inspiring tribute filled with determination, love, and generosity. 

Although we did not attend Jordan’s incident, the family chose to support our service to help others in need of critical care. Their kindness means so much to us. 

Cards for a cause 

The Old Crown Bridge Club kindly presented us with a £500 donation this month, helping to keep our crews flying and saving lives across the North.

Pedalling with purpose 

Also this month, we welcomed Glen Hickman on behalf of Air Ambulance UK.   

In April 2021, Glen Hickman sustained multiple brain injuries in a cycling accident and has no memory of the incident or the following two weeks. He spent seven weeks in hospital and months in recovery after being treated at the scene by an air ambulance critical care team who took control of his breathing and stabilised him. 

Now, five years later, Glen is cycling 1,600km (1,000 miles) across the UK, in a challenge that will take nearly three weeks to complete, in support of Air Ambulances UK and Headway UK. 

Glen said: 

“I can never repay what was done for me, but this challenge is my way of giving something back. It’s also about proving to myself that the incident didn’t take everything away and showing that there is life – and quality of life – after brain injury.” 

Even more inspiringly, Glen is fully funding the ride himself, ensuring every donation goes directly to charity. At the time of his visit, he had already raised £2,756 through his JustGiving page. 

Birthday celebrations with a purpose 

Peter and Sandra Slade celebrated their milestone 75th and 80th birthdays in a truly generous way — raising £500 for our charity.   

What a wonderful way to celebrate such special occasions! 

Little legs, life-saving support 

The children from Rickleton Primary School laced up their trainers to run the Sunderland 3K, and raised and incredible £1,500 for our charity.  

Among the runners were the children of one of our doctors, Dr Phil Dowson, making the event even more special for our team. 

We’re so proud of every single child who took part – fundraising heroes come in all ages! 

Bingo bonanza  

Mandy, Stuart and Brian attended a fantastic bingo night hosted by Thomas Miller Ltd this month.  

It was a great event, packed with fun, laughter, and community spirit. Huge thanks to the charity committee at Thomas Miller Ltd for all their hard work, to all the local businesses who donated prizes and everyone who attended for making such a huge success. 

Laughs that made a difference 

Volunteer Kate went to Little Boxes Comedy Night at Etal Village Hall in Northumberland, which raised £480 in ticket sales alone. 

The event was made even more special thanks to the hall kindly waiving the hire fee and performer Jo donating her time for free. 

Kate also spoke about our charity on the evening and raised additional donations through the collection bucket. 

She later attended a cheque presentation with Caroline Bickerton, Etal Village Hall Committee Chair, Rickard Baker, Etal Village Hall Committee Treasurer, and Nicky Clark, Event Organiser. 

Creativity and kindness 

Volunteer Stuart was delighted to be presented with a cheque for £1,000 from Mannin Quilters, who chose us as their Charity of the Year.  

The group raised the fantastic total through a series of coffee mornings, exhibitions and raffles – proving that creativity and kindness make a wonderful combination. 

— 

Seeing the incredible dedication of our supporters month after month never fails to inspire us. 

Whether it’s running, climbing, crafting, cycling, baking, or simply bringing people together, every fundraiser helps keep our helicopters flying and our critical care team responding when they’re needed most. 

Thank you to every single person who supported our charity this May, we can’t wait to see what June brings!