Fundraiser heads to his Higham Ferrers local to raise more than £3,000 for the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance

Northamptonshire man Richard Woods has raised more than £3,000 to support the life-saving missions of the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance (WNAA) as the charity celebrates 20 years of vital service.

Richard Woods held a fundraising evening on September 1 in his local pub, The Queen’s Head in Higham Ferrers, selling tickets for a disco and a raffle which included many donated prizes.

The evening raised more than £3,000 to support the vital work of this charity, ensuring pre-hospital critical care is available to those across the county when they need it most.

Within minutes, WNAA’s critical care crews can be on the ground delivering pre-hospital emergency care and giving patients the very best chance of survival – this vital service relies entirely on donations to raise the £1,700 needed for each rescue mission, as the charity receives no government or National Lottery funding.

Richard said: “The WNAA crew do an amazing job and I plan to hold a similar event in 2024 to raise further funds.

"Together, we can make a difference and support this vital charity to ensure the life-saving missions and pre-hospital critical care can continue for another 20 years and more.”

Karen Hughes, community fundraising executive for the county, said: “We would like to say a big thank you to Richard and his family for raising vital funds to support us.

"We rely on generous fundraising and funding to remain operational, and without the support of the local community just like this, the life-saving missions in Northamptonshire and further afield wouldn’t be possible.”

The charity is celebrating 50,000 missions and its 20th anniversary of providing its life-saving service across Warwickshire and Northamptonshire in 2023.

As part of this, the charity is encouraging people to visit a charity store and grab a bargain, donate unwanted clothing to one of many clothing banks, get involved in a challenge event, fundraise or even sign up to volunteer.

For more information about the charity and its life-saving work, visit www.theairambulanceservice.org.uk or call 0300 3045999.