Why should you help GWAAC 'Buy Our Base'?

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) delivers pre-hospital medical care to the communities of Bristol, Bath, North East and North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire and surrounding areas. In 2017 our Critical Care Team were dispatched to 1,824 incidents across these areas - all of which involved life-threatening medical emergencies. The reasons for us being called ranged from road accidents, to cardiac arrests, to falls from height, industrial and sporting injuries. We attended adults, children and babies, and people who live and work in the area, those who came here on holiday, and those who were just passing through. They were treated by our Critical Care Doctors and Specialist Paramedics, using drugs, equipment and skills not found on a land ambulance. Hundreds of lives were saved due to the work of our clinicians.

In short, we were there for the people who needed us. This could be anyone, anyday - you never know when it could be you or your family in need.

Currently, GWAAC are located at Filton Airfield in North Bristol, but need to move due to the re-development of the site by our current landlord. Our landlord is building us a new air base at the Almondsbury Interchange in South Gloucestershire.

Earlier this year, our landlord gave us a once in a lifetime opportunity. The chance to buy the air base ourselves, and the opportunity to ensure that our service will continue for the next generation of people who need our doctors and paramedics. Owning our base will decrease our costs and help us increase our income, making our essential service much more sustainable for the long term.

This is a one off opportunity for the charity but means that we need to raise an additional ￡1.25m this year.

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How can you help?

We need people to do 3 simple things:

1. Donate what you can afford at www.BuyOurBase.co.uk . If everyone living in the area we serve gave just ￡1 then our costs would be covered. Or 10% of the people could give ￡10. But most people don't even realise that we're a charity, and getting that many people to donate is ambitious, so...
2. Share our story so that other people might donate. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook and Like and Share our messages. If you are passionate about what we say, then tell your friends that you support us and why.
3. Think about how you could raise some money to Buy Our Base, and it doesn't have to be difficult! Some people run marathons, other people sell unwanted goods at a car boot, or join an online survey panel and donate what they 'earn', or just save their coppers in a jar. Every little helps, and we can send you a funky collection tin!

Whatever you decide to do, we can help you. Let us know if you need any more information, a collection tin, some flyers or our magazine, or some advice to get your started. Good luck, and thank you for your help.