Charity was told to stop fundraising
Howard Lake | 8 July 2009 | News
The Belfast-based air ambulance charity which last month admitting spending nearly 90% of its first year income on overheads was asked to stop fundraising in England, the BBC has reported.
Air Ambulance Ireland (AAI) was asked to stop collecting money in England several years ago before it launched its major fundraising drive in Northern Ireland.
AAI’s actions and some of the claims it has made have caused alarm within the body that oversees air ambulance charities in England and Wales.
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The Air Ambulance Association has described some of the Ireland operation’s early claims as “pie in the sky”.
Peter Aldrick, chairman of the Association of Air Ambulances, said: “We don’t generally raise money in each other’s patches.
“Most of the air ambulance charities are fairly sound financially, but we do rely on public donations and if someone else comes in purporting to be an air ambulance covering the whole of the UK it is going to have an impact on the fundraising.
Last week a senior staff member of AAI resigned due to ‘stress’.
- London’s air ambulance charity receives major funding boost (22 August 2019)
- Air Ambulance Northern Ireland makes first fundraising appointment (18 September 2017)
- Ireland Air Ambulance ceases trading (12 January 2011)
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.