Volunteer Week 2023: Air Ambulance NI seeking new volunteers

As volunteer week launches, Air Ambulance NI is keen to grow their volunteer team and encouraging people to find out more at their volunteer information session on Thursday, 22 June at 7.00pm in in the Roe Valley Leisure Centre Limavady.

As a charity, Air Ambulance NI relies on the support of generous local people who are willing to give their time to help save lives brains and limbs.  

At events such as bucket collections, country fairs and tractor runs the charity team is supported by people from all walks of life who have time to give – whether on a one off or more regular basis.

"Air Ambulance Northern Ireland has an exciting season of fundraising events ahead this summer and is looking for your support!

"We’d like to invite anyone who is interested in finding out more about the work of Air Ambulance NI, and how they might help, to join us. Some of our volunteers help once or twice a year, others a few hours weekly. Already this year volunteers have given almost 1200 hours of support", said Janice Crowe, Volunteer Coordinator for the charity.

The charity received Investors in Volunteers in 2021. She added: ‘new volunteers will join our network of over 100 volunteers so it’s an opportunity to meet new people and experiences. All volunteers have an induction and are supported in their volunteering. It’s not just the medical team who save lives, our volunteers play their part too.’

The charity is particularly keen to recruit new volunteers in the North West area.

The Volunteering Information Evening will take place in the Roe Valley Leisure Centre Limavady on Thursday, 22nd June at 7.00pm.

Those planning to attend can register online via Event Brite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/air-ambulance-ni-volunteer-information-evening-tickets-641248159507 or call the AANI office on 028 9262 2677 for more information.

Tasha Marshall from Coleraine was 20 years old when she hit a patch of black ice while driving causing her to lose all control of her car

The charity needs volunteer support at major upcoming events including Supercars Extravaganza (29th July at Portstewart as well as 30th July at Bishopscourt Downpatrick), Farmflix #On the Pull event in Antrim on 5 August and Tesco Go Red Day in stores across Northern Ireland on 23rd September.’

Ultimately the volunteer team are contributing to supporting patients like Tasha Marshall from Coleraine.

Tasha was just 20 years old when she hit a patch of black ice while driving on the outskirts of Ballymoney causing her to lose all control of her car and hit a tree.

Tasha had sustained several injuries including a broken collar bone, broken ribs, injuries to her right arm which required 17 stitches but worst of all a diffuse axonal brain injury.

The HEMS team provided critical care interventions at the roadside to minimise further damage to her brain before transporting her to definitive care at the Royal Victoria Hospital.

Tasha said: “I remained in a coma for four days after the accident, it was a very worrying time for my family as the doctors expected me to come around much quicker. But I woke up again on the 13th April which was my mum’s birthday! Everyone that day all worked together as one team and gave me the best care, I can’t thank them enough.”  

Each day, Air Ambulance NI needs to raise £6,850, equating to £2.5 million a year to keep the medical team in the air.  

Air Ambulance NI is your local charity that works in partnership with Northern Ireland Ambulance Service to provide the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) for the province.

The medical team are tasked on average twice per day to provide urgent, pre-hospital care to critically ill and injured patients. Since the HEMS began in July 2017, the team have been tasked to over 3,434 incidents.