Amazing fundraisers from North Yorkshire have been honoured by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance at a special awards evening.

In June last year Michael Wood suffered severe multiple injuries when he was thrown from his horse in an horrific riding accident. The 55 year-old was airlifted by the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) to the James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough where he spent more than a week fighting for his life in intensive care.

Since then the entrepreneur has raised more than £21,000 for the rapid response emergency charity that helped save his life.

Most of that came from a large fund raising party held at his Grade 11 listed home in Boltby, near Thirsk, and Michael is also donating proceeds from a book he has written about his life and experience.

He was honoured with a Supporters Award at the Yorkshire Air Ambulance (YAA) Recognition Awards held at Aspire in Leeds.

Other fundraisers, volunteers and supporters from across North Yorkshire were recognised by the YAA at the special evening, hosted by charity patron and ITV presenter Gaynor Barnes.

Ken Sharpe from York has spent three years tirelessly campaigning to stop the YAA and other air ambulance services having to paying VAT on the fuel they use on life saving missions.

His e-petition attracted a staggering 160,000 signatures in just five weeks that lead to a Parliamentary debate on the issue. And, in this year’s Budget, the Chancellor announced VAT exemption for aviation fuel – a decision that will save YAA around £10,000 a year.

Ken, a train guard from Wheatlands Grove, received a Supporter’s Award from the charity and said: “I started the petition mainly among the motor-biking fraternity because I just thought this tax was so unjust.

“I was amazed how many people then signed up – from ramblers to clockmakers – and I’m just really pleased the campaign was successful and delighted to receive this award from the air ambulance.”

The YAA has carried more than 5,800 people in its 14-year history and has to raise £9,990 every day – that’s £3.6 million a year – to keep the life-saving service going.

Without any direct government funding, the only help the charity receives is through the secondment of its paramedics from the Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

This year’s Recognition Awards also honoured the work of supporter Sean McPartland who, with three friends, cycled a staggering 1,300 miles from his home in Birstwith, near Harrogate, to Rome in just 13 gruelling days raising upwards of £16,000 for the YAA.

Husband and wife Dennis and Wendy Whittle also received a Supporter’s Award in recognition of the awareness raising and fund raising they have done over the last five years.

The couple run the Old Hall Caravan Park, Boroughbridge, and hold a fun day and hog roast each year for the YAA which has brought in more than £10,000 for the county’s helicopter heroes.

Melanie Devine from Harrogate received a Volunteer Award in recognition of her dedicated work for the YAA over the last four years, described as an “indispensible asset” to the charity.