Sir John joined the HIOWAA Board of Trustees in July 2016 and was appointed Chairman of Trustees in February 2017, staying on after his four-year term ended to oversee the appointments of six new Trustees and the new Chief Executive Officer. Sir John was in place and played a crucial role in advising and overseeing during some of the Charity’s biggest operational changes and challenges: the forging of a new three-way partnership between HIOWAA, South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS); the change of working practices to effective remote working; the collaboration between HIOWAA, the RAF and Coastguard Search and Rescue, to enable urgent critical care transfers for Covid positive patients living in island communities.

HIOWAA Acting Chief Executive, Sherie Williams Ellen, said: “Sir John has guided the senior management team through some momentous changes during his time as Chair, especially the new partnership with UHS and SCAS as well as the enormous challenges we faced during the Covid-19 pandemic.  His wisdom and experience supported the entire Charity; Trustees, staff and volunteers, and we owe him a debt of gratitude.  I wish him all the very best in his next venture.”

Sir John Day joined HIOWAA following a distinguished and varied career in the Royal Air Force, having graduated with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering before going on to serve both as a front line helicopter pilot and fixed-wing flying instructor. During his 38 years in the Royal Air Force, he served in a wide range of appointments, including Director of Operations in the Ministry of Defence with responsibility for all the United Kingdom’s military operations. In 2003, he retired as an Air Chief Marshal, having been the Commander-in-Chief Strike Command, with command of all the Royal Air Force’s operational forces. He then became BAE Systems’ Senior Military Adviser, moving on from that role in December 2010.

Current HIOWAA Trustee, David Drew, will take up the role of Acting Chairman of Trustees in the interim pending a full-time appointment.