We were honoured to welcome the High Sheriffs of Kent, Surrey, East Sussex and West Sussex to our Redhill airbase this week to find out more about our vital work.
The very special gathering of all four High Sheriffs provided a unique opportunity to showcase the world-leading pre-hospital emergency treatment and care that we provide to the most suddenly seriously injured and ill people 24/7, 365, in communities across Kent, Surrey and Sussex, and discuss its impact across all four counties.
The High Sheriffs heard how every day we respond to around nine emergency calls for our urgent lifesaving care, with each of these missions almost entirely funded by public support. It costs £56K a day to run the lifesaving service and it only thanks to the generosity of the people in the communities we serves that we can keep flying and saving lives.
The High Sheriffs also heard about our world-leading research and innovation which continually pushes the boundaries of what is possible in pre-hospital emergency care, helping to continually improve patient outcomes across Kent, Surrey and Sussex, around the UK and across the globe, both now into the future.
The visiting High Sheriffs were:
- Jonathan Neame, High Sheriff of Kent accompanied by his wife Lucie
- Peter Cluff, High Sheriff of Surrey accompanied by his wife Suzanne
- Annie Brown, High Sheriff of East Sussex
- Dr Timothy Fooks, High Sheriff of West Sussex
The group met with our Chief Executive David Welch, Executive Director of Fundraising and Philanthropy Kelly Heaton-Ralph, Executive Director of Service Delivery Leigh Curtis and Head of Major Gifts, Paul Sandford, before being given a tour of the base and a close-up look at one of our helicopters.
Kelly Heaton-Ralph said: “It was an honour to welcome the High Sheriffs for Kent, Surrey, East and West Sussex to our Redhill base. We’re grateful for their ongoing and future dedication towards our charity and in generating and inspiring support from the communities that we collectively serve. This support enables us to continue saving lives and ensuring the best possible outcomes for patients across Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
“Their visit was also a chance to highlight the importance of fundraising and the many ways people in our communities contribute to keeping us flying and saving lives.”
