May 2020 SkylinesNewsletter NORTHWEST Ambulance CHAR/TyAir brati ele ng C 2 1 Years Registered Charity no: 1075641 www.nwaa.net | 0800 587 4570 02 •03 Welcome to our special birthday issue of Skylines! Contents Before we delve into this issue, I want to say thank you. The world has felt at a standstill recently. At what has been an incredibly difficult time for many people, we have been overwhelmed by your continued support for 04. Mike’s Story our crews and our charity. Whilst some of our activities and events are on 06. Store Spotlight pause and our stores have been temporarily closed, we’ve been exploring 07. Wear your shirt with pride! new and exciting ways to keep in touch with supporters, and on page 12 you can find some thoughtful tips on how to stay safe, connected and well 08. Happy Birthday to us... at this time. 10. Leave a Lasting Legacy Hello On 19th May, 1999, your North West Air Ambulance Charity flew its 11. Cracking Corporates maiden mission from our Blackpool base. We have since opened a second 12. Take Care base, welcomed two more helicopters, launched a fleet of rapid response vehicles, pioneered innovative medical interventions and, most importantly, 14. Championing our Volunteers saved thousands of lives across the North West. 16. Did you know? This has only been possible due to our wonderful donors, volunteers, 18. Thank You! fundraisers and partners, as we do not receive Government funding - we 20. Mission Tracker are so grateful for your support. For the next 21 years and beyond, we are committed to bringing lifesaving pre-hospital care to those in urgent need. With your support, we can ensure our crew are there for patients across the North West - you can read Mike Bray’s story on page 4 to see this impact in action. To mark our 21st year, we’ve put together a list of quirky ideas on how to Contact Us celebrate our coming of age and fundraise indoors. Flick to page 8 to see how you can get involved! General Enquiries In this issue of Skylines, you can see how your support truly lifts us up. 0800 587 4570 Find out about our latest store opening in Congleton on page 6, meet our [email protected] Head of Volunteering on page 14 and take a look at the amazing Wigan Your Regional Fundraisers Warriors’ kit on page 7, with sales of each shirt supporting our service. Thank you again for your continued West Lancashire & North Lancashire & East Lancashire generosity - our crews can continue to Merseyside Cumbria Jeni Nugent fly with your support. We truly wouldn’t Jennifer Barry Helen Fergie McGowan 07715 644003 be here without you. 07511 053573 07951 803 533 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Cumbria Cheshire & Wirral Stockport & Manchester Sarah Thompson Katie Thompson Victoria Jones 07802 324 378 07714 792 148 07802 327033 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Heather Arrowsmith, CEO North West Air Ambulance Charity nwairambulance @NWAirAmbulance www.facebook.com/nwaac •04 05 Mike's Story Whilst completing a personal training session with his are getting a bit serious here...” It turns out After I was discharged from hospital, that as my gym was so close to Barton the frst thing I did was fnd out how I physiotherapist in the summer of 2019, 48-year-old Mike Airport, one of the charity’s airbases, that could say thank you. I couldn’t believe it Bray, a trader from Salford, suffered a complete block of the team was able to reach me in a rapid when I found out that the North West Air his left anterior artery, causing a heart attack. Despite response vehicle. Ambulance is a charitable organisation. It doesn’t receive government funding and is being in otherwise peak health, the sudden heart attack After using a defbrillator, the air totally dependent on public and corporate left him in a life or death situation. Here, he shares his ambulance team transported and donations. In spite of these challenges, story and how the North West Air Ambulance Charity accompanied me to Wythenshawe they have been able to support over Hospital, where a doctor explained to me 20,000 critically injured people for 21 helped save his life. what was going to happen. I was told years now, providing lifesaving support to that I’d had a blockage in my left anterior people who need it most - like me. artery, which would require a stent to clear morning I do a personal training session the blockage. Some weeks later, I was fortunate to meet with my physiotherapist at a gym in some of the team that helped me that day Urmston. It was during one of these usual Amazingly, the stent was inserted within and share my personal thanks. They’re workouts, when things suddenly escalated. twenty minutes and after waking up, I felt unbelievable people and deserve so much Out of almost nowhere, I felt a strange ready to go! Considering how serious the recognition for what they do. I encourage sensation in my chest and next thing I situation had been just hours before, it everyone to support them - they saved my knew, I was face down on the foor. was an incredible feeling. Though I wasn’t life, and will save so many others in the allowed to leave the hospital for three days future with our help. I don’t have a clear recollection of what or so, it was a great relief for me and my happened immediately afterwards, but I family. later found out that my physiotherapist performed CPR on me for 12 minutes, I can’t thank the people that helped me before I woke up to what felt like a crowd that day enough. From my physiotherapist, of people. I later found out that this was a whose quick actions provided me with team from the North West Air Ambulance precious extra time, to the North West Charity, calling: “Mike, Mike... we’ve got Air Ambulance Charity team who treated, him.” I wasn’t able to say anything back, accompanied and reassured me, as well but I managed to raise a thumbs up and as the doctors that performed my surgery. one of the team reassured me that they Without their effort, I wouldn’t be here were from the North West Air Ambulance today. Charity, and were there to help me. I’ve always lived quite an active lifestyle. I’m an avid gym-goer and I regularly play It was quite a daunting moment. When the To find out more about the work our crews do each and every day, visit football and squash. As part of my ftness crew member mentioned where she was nwaa.net/about-us. To see how you can support vital missions, please routine, each Wednesday and Friday from, I started to think: “Hang on, things email us at [email protected] or visit nwaa.net/donate-now. •06 07 Store Spotlight Feeling the love in Congleton! Paul Freethy, our Head of Retail, said: “Since opening in February, the Congleton store has gone from strength to strength, and it’s been amazing seeing local people Wear your shirt show their support in store. Opening day was so much fun, and really demonstrated with pride! just how fantastic the Congleton community is! As well as looking fantastic, the yellow and “Our charity holds a special place in the In January, we had the pleasure blue kits will support the lifesaving work hearts of many people across the North of being named as Super League of our crew as for every shirt sold, £5 is West, and seeing so many come out in team Wigan Warriors’ chosen We had a very busy February, welcoming donated directly to our charity. Did you support of us on opening day was really our fourteenth retail store with a special charity, with the iconic Rugby know we need over £9.5 million to keep us uplifting. This support truly does help us to Valentine’s Day opening! We were League club and its fans lending operational? If you are a Wigan Warriors keep saving lives each and every day.” overwhelmed by the support from the us their incredible support for the fan, there’s no better way to show your love people of Congleton, and the excitement for the club whilst also supporting a crucial To keep up to date with news about our 2020 season. hasn’t slowed down. Since opening its regional service. stores, visit nwaa.net/retail. doors on 14th February, the store has Having landed on sports felds during already made an incredible impact on our previous emergencies, our crews are no Speaking about the partnership, Jon Ward, lifesaving charity. strangers to the rugby pitch. It certainly lifted our Head of High Value Giving, said: “We are spirits when Wigan Warriors unveiled their delighted to partner with Wigan Warriors. The day was a huge success, and so all-new North West Air Ambulance Charity The Warriors have been fantastic to work much fun for everyone who attended. inspired alternative kits! Did you catch the with when creating the shirt, and it’s great to We had refreshments, some fantastic team wearing the special shirts in the local bring together two iconic North West teams entertainment, and even Paramedic Pup clash with Salford Red Devils in March? We who both work so hard to support local couldn’t resist getting involved! We’d also couldn’t be happier with how they looked if people.” like to say a special thanks to the Mayor of we tried… Congleton, Sally Ann Holland, who popped down on the morning and cut the ribbon to offcially open the new store.