So far, the summer has been packed with incredible acts of kindness, determination and community spirit, and once again our amazing supporters have been busy raising vital funds to help keep our crews responding when they’re needed most.
From community fun days and coffee mornings to epic endurance challenges, school fundraisers and surprise cheque presentations, July has been another month to remember.
Here’s a look at some of the wonderful things our fundraising heroes have been up to…
Jasmine’s jars
A very special shoutout goes to young supporter Jasmine, who has been collecting loose change for us since the beginning of June.
Bringing in over 30 jam jars filled with 1p, 2p, 5p, 10p and £1 coins, Jasmine has already raised more than £60.
Every penny really does make a difference. Thank you, Jasmine, for your incredible dedication!
51 years of friendship
We were honoured to attend a cheque presentation at the Cleveland Retired Men’s Association (CRMA), as the association comes to an end after 51 incredible years.
The association kindly chose to support our charity and presented us with a fantastic donation of £593.09 before inviting us to stay for tea and lunch.
Peaks and perseverance
Congratulations to four determined supporters who completed the National Three Peaks Challenge, in aid of our charity, in 21 hours!
During their visit to our airbase for a cheque presentation, they were treated to an unforgettable moment when one of our helicopters was called to an incident on the Isle of Man.
Seeing the aircraft lift off to help someone in need brought home exactly why their fundraising matters.
Colours for a cause
Pupils at Mayfield School in Whitehaven certainly brightened June with their Cosmic Colour Run.
The colourful event raised an incredible £3,296, and it was a pleasure to visit the school this month for an assembly and cheque presentation to thank everyone involved.
What an amazing effort by the pupils, staff and families!
History, connections and community
Our Community Fundraiser Deborah enjoyed spending an evening with Workington History Society, where the group donated £300, with a further £90 collected on the night.
It proved to be a small world too. One attendee was the foster brother of Grahame Pickering, who founded our charity in 1991.
Another attendee had recently experienced first-hand the importance of our service too, after we attended an incident involving her 91-year-old father.
Our service really does touch so many lives.
Young supporters
Big cheer for the Rota Kids from Wreay C of E Primary School, who presented Miles with a cheque for £247.25.
The fantastic sum was raised through a cake sale and games day organised by the children back in March. Most of the school’s 80 pupils attended and enjoyed the event, with the Rota Kids making sure everyone left with a GNAAS sticker and a better understanding of how the funds they raised would help support the charity.
200 miles for a life-saving cause
What a brilliant evening we had with the lovely team behind the Tebay Charity Ride 2026!
The group cycled over 200 miles across Cumbria in just two days, raising an incredible £7,509.48 – all powered by friendship and determination.
They certainly earned their helicopter tour and chat with the crew afterwards!
Raising the bar
The legendary pALEgrimage group continue to amaze us.
Their latest fundraising efforts have raised an astonishing £25,626.62, taking their incredible lifetime fundraising total to almost £120,000.
It was a pleasure welcoming them back for another cheque presentation, where the crew – especially Dr Will – made sure they had a memorable visit.
Coffee and knitting
A huge thank you to Bernadette Glasper and everyone involved in raising £850 through coffee mornings and knitting.
These simple acts of kindness continue to have a life-saving impact for patients across our region.
A community coming together
Our Community Fundraiser Amanda spent the afternoon at a fantastic Community Fun Day in Barrasford at their Village Hall.
Relatives and friends of John, who unfortunately was in an incident last year who we went to, are taking part in the Great North Run this year in his memory. And, as part of their fundraising, they arranged this event.
The day was packed with colour runs, dog shows, games, tombolas, raffles, food stalls and much more, and had an amazing turnout.
Support flooded in throughout the day, including a donation of more than £7,000 from a division of NFU. By the time the event finished, the fundraising total had reached an incredible £14,000.
What an amazing example of a community rallying together.
Tweet success
A big thank you to everyone at Tweet Tweet Bird Auction in Wigton, who raised a fantastic £500 for our charity.
Our Community Fundraiser Deborah recently visited the group for a cheque presentation and to personally thank them for their generosity and support.
Every fundraiser helps ensure our crews can continue bringing life-saving care to those who need it most.
A lasting legacy
Our Community Fundraiser Amanda recently met with Derek Hutcherson, from Torquay, who was in Newcastle for a performance The Cramlington Train Wreckers, at the Theatre Royal. The play marked the centenary of the General Strike and the derailment of the Flying Scotsman.
Derek’s late wife, Margaret, wrote a book “Let No Wheels Turn” about the 1926 wrecking of the Flying Scotsman, and he wanted the proceeds from Margaret’s book sales to benefit a North East charity.
He chose the Great North Air Ambulance service, donating £500 towards our Operation SOS appeal. Thank you, Derek, for helping Margaret’s legacy continue to make a difference.
Wonderful WI
Emily met with the ladies of WI Dalton-le-Dale cheque presentation this month.
We’d like to say heartfelt thank you to the group, who raised £617.46 for our charity, alongside generous donations of clothing.
We truly appreciate your continued support!
Cheers from the Isle of Man
Brian, one of our volunteers on the Isle of Man, attended a cheque presentation with CAMRA Isle of Man following their annual Beer and Cider Festival.
Thie year marked their 13th Beer and Cider Festival, and they raised an incredible £1,274.82 for our service.
Thank you to everyone involved for supporting our charity and helping to keep our crews responding across the region.
Long-standing support
Plantsplus Garden Centre continues to be one of our wonderful long-term supporters.
Having chosen us as their Charity of the Year for several years, they once again gone above and beyond, presenting us with an amazing total of £11,995.99.
We’re so grateful for their continued generosity and the fantastic relationship we’ve built over the years. Thank you to everyone at Plantsplus for helping us continue to be there when people need us most.
Young Farmers making a difference
Sedbergh Young Farmers Club recently presented us with a fantastic cheque for £1,000, raised through members’ milestone birthday celebrations.
During their visit to our airbase, Paramedic Andy gave the group an insight into the vital work of the Great North Air Ambulance Service, before answering some fantastic questions from the group, helping everyone gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by our Critical Care Team every day.
The visit concluded with one of our patient story videos, whose powerful message really highlighted the difference their fundraising makes and the life-saving impact of their support.
More than two decades of support
We had the pleasure of meeting a long-term supporter, David Mitchell from Northumberland at Silloth Vintage Rally.
For over 20 years, David has been stone grinding wheat into flour using his vintage engines, donating the proceeds to of his sales to our charity.
His remarkable fundraising total now stands at almost £17,500! Thank you, David, for your unwavering support.
A surprise presentation
Sometimes the best moments are the unexpected ones.
While enjoying the Westmorland Dales Festival in Kirkby Stephen, our Community Fundraiser Mieke was surprised by members of the Rotary Club of Upper Eden who turned up to present the Great North Air Ambulance Service with a cheque for an incredible £2,500.
The money was raised at a spectacular Garden Party and Auction of Promises held at Winton Park Gardens. She was lucky enough to attend the event and witness the incredible generosity of those present, but never would have predicted such an outstanding result
Moments like this remind me us just how fortunate we are to serve such a caring and supportive community. Thank you to everyone who played a part in making this happen.
—
From jam jars to mountain climbs, community fun days to cycling challenges, July has been another incredible month of fundraising.
Every event, every donation and every supporter helps ensure our crews can continue bringing advanced critical care to people when they need it most.
To every single one of our fundraising heroes – thank you. We can’t wait to see what next month brings!
Share
