London’s Air Ambulance video shows what donations can buy
Howard Lake | 11 September 2017 | News
National Air Ambulance Week is being marked by London’s Air Ambulance with a video that demonstrates the costs associated with delivering the charity’s service.
The video features a doctor and paramedic rushing to board the roof-top helicopter and strapping themselves on board. Dramatic music contrasts with the slow-motion of the action as they respond to a message that a seven-year-old girl has been hit by a large vehicle.
In an almost augmented reality-style overlay, the video identifies individual items of equipment and lists their costs. Items range from scissors (£3) and rubber gloves (1p), through a flight suit (£395) and open heart surgery pack (£958), to a single rotor blade (£123,000) and a helicopter engine (£250,000).
Price tags on an emergency service
The charity needs to raise nearly £8 million each year to deliver its 24/7 advanced trauma team to around 2,000 critically injured patients within the M25. On average it treats five critically injured people in London each day, performing medical interventions at the roadside that are normally only found in a hospital emergency department.
The video, created by producers Snappin’ Turtle, also aims to raise awareness that all air ambulances in the UK run by charities. A survey this Summer found that two thirds of Londoners were not aware that the service in London was run by a charity.
London’s Air Ambulance CEO Jonathan Jenkins said: “We want more people to know that London’s Air Ambulance is a charity, and relies on donations to deliver its life-saving work. By showing the cost of individual aspects of the service, we are hoping that more people will understand how much money is needed to keep the service running 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”
During National Air Ambulance Week London’s Air Ambulance will be taking part in fundraising events to raise money and awareness of the charity, including station collections across London’s tube and rail network.
The video also indicates that the charity has secured support from London Freemasons, with its name and logo featured on the side of the helicopter.
National Air Ambulance Week
National Air Ambulance Week runs from 11 – 18 September and is an initiative created by the Association of Air Ambulances to celebrate the work of local air ambulance charities. Together, the UK’s air ambulance charities raise £120 million a year, operate 37 helicopters, and have a volunteer network of over 2,500 people.
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said: “London’s Air Ambulance delivers a vital service for those who have been critically injured in the capital, but it relies on donations to provide its life-saving assistance. From helicopters to medical equipment, the public’s generosity means this charity has been able to give emergency care to Londoners for 28 years. I urge Londoners to get involved in National Air Ambulance Week and support the crews and staff who do such fantastic work.”
Help this message take off
As the helicopter speeds off to the incident, the video ends by asking people to ‘help this message take off’, by sharing it online with the #airambulancecharity hashtag.
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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.