We’re delighted to have paid a very special visit to the pupils at Monkton Church of England Primary School in Ramsgate, winners of a competition to name one of our lifesaving helicopters. The team from KSS met pupils from the school and showed them the aircraft – which now proudly carries the name `Spirit’ on every lifesaving mission it makes.
The visit was a celebration of the school winning our `Name Your Local Air Ambulance’ competition, which was part of our charity’s Buy it for Life campaign, launched in March 2024. The competition, which gave young people an opportunity to name its two air ambulance helicopters, attracted more than 160 entries from schools, youth groups and individual children across the region.
Class 3 at Monkton School chose the name `Spirit` after learning about KSS in their Spirituality lessons, where they explored how individuals and communities can make a difference. They felt the name ‘Spirit’ would remind them to always have courage and help others. Some children felt that ‘Spirit’ sounded floaty and powerful, `just like a helicopter!’.
Class 3 were really inspired by the KSS Young Ambassadors and decided to learn how to make emergency calls and get help if the worst happens to someone they love.
Teacher Samantha Vesty explained: “Our pupils were deeply moved by the work of KSS and the stories of their Young Ambassadors. They wanted to learn how to help in emergencies and chose the name ‘Spirit’ to reflect courage, compassion, and the powerful presence of the helicopter itself.”
During the visit, pupils met KSS crew members, had a chance to see inside the helicopter, and learned more about the charity’s lifesaving work.
Our highly successful Buy it for Life campaign, which aimed to raise £1M, and extraordinarily went on to reach £2M thanks to the incredible response it received as communities across Kent, Surrey and Sussex came together to support KSS. The campaign followed the news that our aviation partner had gone into administration.
Negotiations with a new partner led to a rare and time-limited opportunity to purchase a second helicopter, helping provide a more secure future for us and enabling us to reach more patients and save more lives across Kent, Surrey, and Sussex.
Our Chief Executive David Welch, said: “Our Buy it for Life campaign was hugely successful thanks to the incredible response we had from the communities we serve right across Kent, Surrey and Sussex, including from schools and youth groups in our Name Your Local Air Ambulance competition. We were impressed by the suggestion from Monkton School to name one of our helicopters `Spirit` and delighted to give the school pupils a chance to see the helicopter up close today. It was wonderful to see their excitement and interest in our work, and hear all their questions.
“Our exciting visit today is a powerful reminder of the importance of community spirit in supporting our vital work. The enthusiasm and creativity of the pupils is truly heartwarming, and we’re proud to have ‘Spirit’ carry their message of hope and courage on every lifesaving mission we make.”
