Boost for County Air Ambulance

Jun 30 2008 By Gurdip Thandi

A VITAL life-saving helicopter service has been given a much needed boost to meet spiralling fuel costs.

Cannock Chase Hospital Community League of Friends has come to the rescue of County Air Ambulance after it was revealed that fuel costs are set to rise by £130,000 a year.

The League of Friends has presented the charity with £50,000.

The donation was presented to charity director Paul Leaman by chairwoman and founder of the Cannock Chase Hospital League of Friends, Ethel Powell MBE and treasurer Eric Grimshaw, at the RAF Cosford Helicopter base.

The hospital charity also presented a further £50,000 to the West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust for their defibrillator programme.

Anthony Marsh, chief executive of the Ambulance Trust, was in attendance to accept the cheque from the hospital fund-raisers.

Mrs Powell said: “The League of Friends decided to make this award to County Air Ambulance and the West Midlands Ambulance Service in recognition of the excellent work undertake by their staff in our area.”