Thames Valley Air Ambulance has been awarded for the significant impact it has made to the region at the Thames Valley Business Magazine Awards, held in Reading on Thursday 19 November 2015.

Winning ‘Charity of the Year’, sponsored by James Cowper Kreston, the Charity demonstrated to the judges outstanding achievement and service to its beneficiaries, innovative fundraising ideas, and achievement of its goals over the course of the last year.

Mark McGeown, Chief Executive of Thames Valley Air Ambulance said; “This award is a wonderful accolade for the Charity especially coming in our 15th Anniversary year.  It reflects the dedication, passion and hard work of the whole Charity team – staff and volunteers – over the recent years.

“During this Anniversary Year we set ourselves some ambitious targets to ensure that we remained at the forefront of helicopter emergency medical services and it’s extremely rewarding to receive this public recognition of the positive impact that our air ambulance Charity and crews have been making in the Thames Valley region.

“Our ambition of delivering a gold standard service is dependent on the generosity of the people, companies and organisations who support us – we are extremely grateful to them all.”

Alex Peal, Partner at James Cowper Kreston, said: “We were delighted to be able award Thames Valley Air Ambulance Charity of the Year, in what was a really strong shortlist of finalists this year.

“A number of factors made them a stand out winner.  2015 has been a landmark year for them. Not just because it marks the 15 anniversary of the charity but because it also caps what has been a tremendous year. A charity that survives purely on donations and fundraising has to continually innovate which they have successfully achieved and have reinvested funds to improve and expand services. With exciting plans for 2016, Thames Valley Air Ambulance continues to push the boundaries of medical intervention, aviation and on scene patient care to deliver a unique lifesaving service where and when it is needed most across the Thames Valley.”

In its 15th year as a life-saving air ambulance charity, TVAA is committed to developing and enhancing its helicopter emergency medical service in the region to provide the highest level of emergency care outside of a hospital environment.

In October, the Charity launched its new Airbus H135 helicopter, G-TVAL, fully equipped for night-time operations. A full range of life-saving equipment is carried on board, including two state of the art ultrasound devices, a blood transfusion kit and an immediate blood analyser, helping to shave off valuable seconds in the golden hour.

The Service has recently recruited and trained two new paramedics and three new emergency medical doctors as it looks to step up to a higher level of capability. The ‘paramedic physician partnership’ of doctors and paramedics found on Thames Valley Air Ambulance is essential for a truly gold standard delivery of pre-hospital emergency medicine, all of which is made possible through the Charity’s close working partnership with South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust.

TVAA’s aviation partner Bond Air Services Ltd and their highly skilled helimed pilots are also central to the service, ensuring the most effective coverage for the entire region, as well as the speed, safety and precision of the operation.

The service is supported by the communities of Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire and it is thanks to their generosity that TVAA can continue to develop and improve its life-saving capabilities.