27-Apr-2022 Source: London’s Air Ambulance Charity
On Monday 25 April, London’s Air Ambulance Charity hosted its most successful gala ever; raising over £944,000 in donations.
This is enough to fund over 400 missions: helping London’s only helicopter emergency service save more lives across the capital, every day, when every second counts.
At the event, our patron, His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge met with some of our heroic medical and operational crew and delivered a moving speech in support of the charity.
What struck me when working as an air ambulance pilot was how serious injury does not discriminate. It can happen to anyone. At any time. In any place. Just one moment can turn a life upside down.
“Earlier this evening, I had the great privilege to meet a young man named Bruno, and his father Daniel. At age 11, Bruno was knocked off his scooter by a vehicle and suffered a serious brain injury. London’s Air Ambulance flew to him immediately, arriving within minutes to bring the hospital to his side, saving his life. As a charity, London’s Air Ambulance is reliant on support from the public. Tonight, your generosity will go towards this ambitious plan and will enable the charity to do even more in the future to deliver first-class care when Londoners need it most.”
Aged 15, Bruno, and his father Daniel, bravely spoke about how London’s Air Ambulance saved his life. “It took under 10 minutes for the ambulance to arrive on the scene. If they had been any later, I might not be speaking to you today,” said Bruno.
“London’s Air Ambulance isn’t just about saving lives, but about caring for people as individuals.”
We’re so thankful to Bruno and Daniel for attending the gala and speaking in support of London’s Air Ambulance Charity. You can read more about Bruno’s story here.
The event was attended by a number of VIP guests, including Tamara Beckwith and her husband Giorgio Veroni. Sotheby’s Chairman, Sir Harry Dalmeny, was the auctioneer for the evening and the event was hosted by presenter and comedian Sindhu Vee. Entertainment was provided by Alessandro Ristori and the Portofinos, and Saloon Star.
Jonathan Jenkins, CEO of London’s Air Ambulance Charity, said: “When a patient is critically injured, there is often no time to get that person to hospital. In those instances, our teams can provide a lifeline, arriving within 11 minutes to perform advanced interventions at scene to try and save a life. But they can only be there thanks to our generous supporters. It costs approximately £10 million to deliver our service, the vast majority of which we have to find from donations.
“We can’t thank the Duke enough for his heartfelt support for our cause and we are delighted that so many supporters donated so generously to our charity, making it our most successful gala to date. All the funds raised will help us continue to be there for London when a life is on the line. We are also very grateful to our sponsors AlbaCore Capital Group and CoinShares, our contributors, to each of the table hosts, and to our auctioneer Lord Harry Dalmeny for helping us raise so much on the night.”
Every day, we are up against time to save the lives of our patients. As a charity reliant on donations, it is only thanks to our supporters that we can continue to reach London’s most critically injured in time. Can you help us be there in time to save a life?
