The charity, which has bases in the North East and Cumbria, is currently facing a crossroads as their iconic green and yellow aircraft are unfortunately coming to the end of their economically viable life.

This is due to high maintenance costs and an increasing scarcity of spare parts for Dauphin N3 helicopters.

These aircraft have responded to thousands of life-saving missions, but with their years of service coming to a close, GNAAS face the risk of scaling back their operations unless they take on an ambitious fundraising challenge.

Every year the charity responds to more than 2,000 critically ill or injured people in the North East, North Yorkshire, Cumbria and the Isle of Man.

As demand for their service continues to grow, the charity has designed the blueprints for a stronger future, investing in three state-of-the-art helicopters ready to respond and bring more advanced medical care than ever before.

Joe Garcia MBE, chief executive officer at GNAAS, said: “Returning to a three-helicopter fleet means that when one aircraft is undergoing essential maintenance, two more are ready to answer the call. It’s the difference between a patient being reached in their moment of need, or not, and could be the difference between life and death.”

By changing the helicopters they operate, the charity can cut costs while maintaining a more reliable fleet that will secure their service for the next decade and beyond.

The major obstacle the charity faces is that they need to raise £2.5 million for the deposit for the third aircraft.

They’ve so far received a significant donation which covers 8% of the required funds and have now launched an appeal to the public called Operation SOS: Secure Our Service.

Mr Garcia added: “The public’s support is the foundation of our service. They have fuelled our missions and equipped our crews. We would not turn to them with such a significant request unless it was absolutely critical. This isn’t for our day-to-day running costs; this is a landmark investment in the future of emergency care for our entire community, and we face a rapidly closing window to make this happen.

“By donating to our appeal, they will be helping us purchase the helicopter that ensures we can reach the next child, parent, or loved one who needs us. It will turn our blueprint into a reality and secure the future of our service. “