At the end of 2025, the company donated a pedestrian floor sweeper, now used at GNAAS’s headquarters at Urlay Nook near Darlington, to help maintain the aircraft hangar housing one of its operational helicopters.

As part of the new partnership in 2026, Ruck Engineering has arranged a donation of a hot mobile pressure washer from its sister company, MAC International. The MAC Avant pressure washer will be used to maintain Air Ambulance’s fleet of vehicles.

The partnership will see Ruck Engineering support the charity through fundraising, awareness activity and practical assistance, helping the organisation continue delivering emergency pre-hospital care across the North East, North Yorkshire and Cumbria.

The Great North Air Ambulance Service responds to around 2,000 incidents every year, bringing critical care teams directly to patients at the roadside, in remote locations and in medical emergencies where every second matters. The charity receives no government funding for its daily operations and must raise millions of pounds annually to remain operational.

GNAAS crews include doctors and specialist paramedics capable of delivering hospital-level treatment at the scene, including anaesthesia, blood transfusions and advanced trauma care, significantly improving survival chances before patients reach hospital.

Established in 1978, Ruck Engineering supplies commercial and industrial cleaning machinery, maintenance services and consumables to organisations across the UK from its Darlington base.

Simon Ruck, Managing Director of Ruck Engineering, said: “After supporting the charity last year and visiting the base, it really brought home just how vital the service is to people across our region. Becoming a corporate partner felt like the natural next step for us.

“There’s also a personal connection for our family as my father, who founded the business and served as Mayor of Darlington, chose the Air Ambulance as his mayoral charity. It’s special to now support the organisation as a company in our own right.

“We’re looking forward to getting involved throughout the year and helping raise awareness as well as funds, because this is a service none of us ever expect to need, but everyone is grateful exists.”

Joe Garcia MBE, Chief Executive of the Great North Air Ambulance Service, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Ruck Engineering for deepening its support and becoming a corporate partner.

“Its donation last year made a practical difference to our operational base, and this new partnership will help us continue delivering critical care across the region.

“We rely entirely on businesses and communities to keep our helicopters and response vehicles operational. Partnerships like this genuinely help us save lives.”